Blue Eyed Girl
by ayaheartright
Summary: Reverse Harem with Fem!Haru. Haruka hated how the girl's swim team was so structured. She only wanted to swim freestyle so she joined the boy's team with Makoto. They were kids so no one cared, but once Rin found out that he had lost to a girl everything changed. Now he's back from Australia and tension is high. chapters 1-5 edited
1. Chapter 1

**A/N part 1: You know the drill. I own nothing, nada, zip. Don't sue me. I pawned a few ideas off other fanfictions too. I'm not original.**

* * *

Makoto was beginning to lose track of how many times he called out to Haruka or banged on the bathroom door. He knew he wasn't going to receive any response, yet he kept on trying. He would continue until the last second, which was quickly approaching, to avoid going in and dragging his best friend out of the tub himself.

"Haru, please don't make me come in there!" He said with a slight pink tinting his cheeks. It was acceptable when they were younger, but now seeing her bathe was beginning to be too much for him to handle. Ignore that last sentence, it was already too much for him to handle. This was inappropriate behavior and the only reason they could get away with it was because Haru lived alone.

"Ok! I'm coming in!" He yelled and took a few calming breaths before opening the sliding door.

He promptly covered his face the moment he saw the raven mop of hair visible above the tub. If his eyes had been open he would have noticed a rare smile play across his companion's face at the sight of him fumbling around the bathroom. One would think by now he would have the layout memorized considering he had been walking Haruka to school for as long as he could remember. However, it wasn't until Grandma Nanase passed that getting Haru out of the house became his responsibility.

The sweet woman used to always have her ready on time. Often Haruka was waiting for Makoto on the stairs when he left his house. On the days that he was late due to his younger siblings, he didn't have worry either. She would walk to school by herself and everything would be fine. Now if he weren't here to drag the girl out of the tub, she would skip school. This is what happened yesterday when she missed the first day.

"I'm wearing a swimsuit." Even though the voice would have sounded devoid of any emotions to anyone else, Makoto could hear the amusement in it. They have been together long enough that he could always read Haru. Their gaze met and there was a sparkle in those beautiful blue eyes - eyes he could drown in.

"Good morning, Haru-chan." He said with a smile as he held out his hand. A hand that he really hoped wasn't growing sweaty. He really couldn't handle this anymore.

Sometimes he wondered if Haruka knew the effect that she had on him, even in her one piece, which was about as revealing as her middle school gym swim suit. He had given the first of many of the same style to her for her birthday several years ago not knowing how the single purple stripe that outlined it would draw so much attention to her slender yet distinctly feminine form. At the time she had the body of a 12-year-old boy, so he wouldn't have known this detail. It was always the late bloomers that ended up with the best bodies.

It was easier to shut off his reaction when they were in public, when his main concern was preventing utter embarrassment to himself and Haru. Her ability to remove her clothing at the sight of water without remorse was nerve wracking to say the least. His only solace was that when people would scold him about his "girlfriend" she never corrected them. Even though the poor boy was sure that the reasoning was due to her lack of interest in the subject and not an interest in him.

"You're going to be late." Haruka said bringing his attention back to the present.

He was still holding her hand, as she stood, not the least bit awkwardly, in the tub. With a bit of remorse he dropped the slender wrist and let out a breath that he was holding. The feeling of her skin would linger for most of the morning.

"Hey. That's my line."

* * *

He recognized the taller boy easily. Besides the obviously change in build over four years, Makoto looked the same. His broad shoulders were hard to miss and as Nagisa weaved through students he focused on finding someone who could block out the sun. He didn't factor in that most high school students were taller than him and many of the different clubs would have muscular muscles; however, when he saw that sandy blond hair paired up with someone with raven locks, he knew he found them.

At first he was shocked to see Haru-chan. He knew girls changed more with puberty than boys but he didn't think she would change that much. The last time he saw Haru, she easily passed for a boy. Her hair was cut in an androgynous short style and she often wore the same clothes as Makoto. Despite her slender frame and cute face, she didn't seem too out of play on the boy's swim team.

Now; however, she stood out. Her ocean blue eyes were even more piercing and ivory skin contrasted waist length dark hair. Even with the unflattering school uniform, he could see hints of a model like body.

None of these things concerned him. The most important thing was her height. When they were younger, Mako and Haru were the same size, leaving him almost a head shorter. He was looking forward to being taller than the girl but they appeared to be even.

"Mako-chan! Haru-chan? It's been forever! I'll be joining you here at Iwatobi High school!" He called from the bottom of the stairs and waved excitedly.

"Nagisa?" He heard back as he ran up to greet them.

"Yup! You haven't changed a bit Mako-chan! Haru-chan, you look really pretty in a skirt! So you've accepted being a girl?"

Makoto laughed as Haru turned her head to the side and mumbled, "obviously."

"Good, because you're really pretty. I'd be a shame if you were still a super tomboy. You need to show off those legs and how much you've filled out too!" Nagisa said enthusiastically and held his hands out towards Haru's chest.

"I don't think I saw you after the swimming club was shut down." Makoto said with a tense smile and placed his body between the small boy and Haru. Nagisa pouted for a moment not wanting his fun to be spoiled.

"Hey Haru, how tall are you?"

"168cm."

"Oh! We are the same height! How funny is that."

He lied. Hazuki Nagisa actually stood about 165cm but he wouldn't admit that. Haru raised an eyebrow at the response but remained silent. She was having one of those silent conversations with Mako-chan.

"There's a cherry tree next to the pool!" He shouted when they got to the roof. "Weren't there some of those next to the pool at your grade school, Haru?"

"The pool's old and nobody uses it, though. There's no swimming club, either." Makoto said.

"Where do you swim, then?" Nagisa said and looked at Haru shocked.

"I quit swimming competitively."

"What? I was all excited about getting to swim with you again in high school!"

Nagisa looked like someone just kicked a puppy. The whole day he was so excited to finally see Mako-chan and Haru-chan again and it's only to find out that he couldn't swim with them? Something didn't add up.

"We're not little kids anymore. Things aren't the way they used to be."

"Haru-chan."

His face fell at the way his childhood friend said those words. For once Nagisa found himself silenced as he just stared at Haru in disbelief. He just couldn't believe in a world where Haru wasn't "one with the water," as she used to say.

"Well, she may've stopped swimming competitively, but she still loves water." Makoto said with a caring smile on his face. "Haru can't live without being in the water. During the summer, she swims in the ocean, and she was still soaking in the tub this morning."

"What does that have to do with swimming?" Nagisa asked. "That just means she likes baths. I know what about a hot springs club? Let's start a hot spring club!" He said, perking up again and grabbed onto Haru's jacket shook her lightly.

"I can't stand the heat. Besides, I couldn't be in the water with you guys anyway." She said looking away.

"Sure, you can! Just wear a wet suit like you used to at swim practice! Come on! Come on!"

* * *

_Haru is going to be at the swim club tonight._

Rin stared at his phone for a few moments before setting it on the bed next to him with a growl. He didn't care. He hasn't been in the country for more than a week and Gou was already bothering him with those damned idiots.

_They are going to dig up the trophy._

He still didn't care.

_She's really pretty._

He growled again. This time the phone was thrown across the room. Why would Gou think that would persuade him?

"Are you alright, sempai?"

Rin sighed and went to retrieve a light jacket in addition to his phone. "Yeah, I just need some fresh air." He said over his shoulder before slamming the door.

* * *

**Edited and re-posted 8/29/2014**


	2. Chapter 2

He didn't care about the stupid trophy or the way Haru looked like nowadays. He just wanted to grab the damn thing before his former teammates could get there to fuck with them.

He didn't linger much since the place was a dump anyway. Whatever childish memories were attached to it was ruined. It was fitting, really. Rin made a tsk sound as he wandered the empty halls.

Now he just needed to decide if he wanted to wait to see the look on their faces when they noticed the trophy was gone or just leave now and throw the stupid thing in the trash on the way out. He didn't need to think long before he heard Nagisa's loud voice echoing in the halls. Something about sugar being just as effective at warding off ghosts as salt. It would appear that Makoto was still afraid of the dark.

He pulled down the visor on his hat and peered around the corner. Makoto, Nagisa, and Haru were headed toward the lounge. He watched as the three silhouettes made their way down the hall. He couldn't see much, just their backs but it was enough to irritate him.

He felt irritated that the messy boyish hair was replaced with long silky strands that reached down to a slender waist. An attribute that was all too obvious in that tiny sweater dress she was wearing. The scowl deepened on Rin's face as he realized why the stupid outfit annoyed him so much. It reminded him of that she wore the last time their paths crossed.

_Three years prior_

_He was walking home from the store when she stopped him. Otherwise he would have just passed by where without a second glance. He was too lost in his thoughts to notice what was going on around him. _

_"Rin? You're back?" Haru asked as she stepped before him to block his path on the sidewalk. Her hair was still short back then, styled in a boyish pixie cut. She was wearing a grey sweater over a ruffled pink polkadot dress._

_"Haru?" He laughed and pointed at her "why are you wearing a dress?"_

_"Mom thinks I need to start dressing more like a girl. Most of my clothes are dresses now." She said flatly, obviously not impressed with the idea._

_"Why?"_

_"… because I'm a girl." She replied softly while averting his gaze._

_Rin just stared at her for a moment deciding what to ask next. Why was she on the _boy's_ team then? Why did she never correct them? She answered the first question without a prompt._

_"They wouldn't let me just swim free on the girl's team so I switched to the boy's team."_

_Rin laughed and smiled at the stubborn girl in front of him. "That seems like something you would do." _

_"You could have called." She turned to look at him with hurt in her eyes._

_"Well, it'd be a little embarrassing…How are you doing? Still swimming?" _

_This time it was his turn to avoid eye contact. He didn't like the clammy feeling he was getting at the way she was looking at him. He had spent hours upon hours with this girl so why did he feel strange now? Stupid dress._

_She perked up at the question. "Yeah, I joined the swim club at our middle school. It's co-ed and Makoto also joined. The school has a pretty big pool. " Her eyes began to sparkle at the thought of water. _

_"Hey Haru," he started in a sad tone but then changed it when he sensed the concern radiating off of her. "Let's swim together again…" This is what he needed to get out of his funk. The funk that made him the worst on his new team in Australia. He would beat Haru. _

Tsk. He turned the corner to intercept them down a different hallway. He didn't care but he had nothing better to do anyway. He might as well throw the trophy at their feet to show that he got to it first. He could be faster at something.

Rin sulked out of the shadows, keeping his face hidden. Makoto clenched Haru's hand harder and moved closer to her, but the girl barely gave him a glance. She looked bored and uncaring. Figures that would be the kind of relationship those two would have.

He tilted his head upward and let himself be known. Finally, some emotion flashed on Haru's face before it was replaced. He thought he looked cuter before. Not that he thought she looked appealing or anything. He was getting that clammy feeling again but he calked it up to be adrenaline before a race. A race was a good idea.

"Yo. I didn't think I'd run into you guys here." He said in a low voice and snapped the back of his hat. It was a lie but it sounded cool. Not that he cared if he sounded cool in front of them or anything.

"Rin-chan?!" Makoto and Nagisa exclaimed in unison. He paid then no heed, especially when Nagisa grabbed onto his arm and started talking a mile a minute. It was annoying. Almost as annoying at the staring match him and Haru were having.

"Haru, you're still hanging out with these guys? You never learn."

"And what about you? You learn anything?"

He smirked. She did never learn. Otherwise she wouldn't have challenged him.

At the suggestion of a race she instantly broke away from Makoto and began walking in step with him towards the pool. He could hear the soft clanking of their shoes breaking the silence as they walked. A small blush crept on his face as he wondered what underwear she had on.

He doubted she would swim in a dress. He wouldn't want that because it would slow her down. His head was not filled with perverted thoughts of his childhood friend.

He heard tweedle dumb and tweedle dee yelling in the background as he started removing his clothes. It was a good thing that he had his swimsuit on. He tried to be discrete as he watched his rival throw off her dress in a flashy manner. She probably had a bunch of practice with Makoto.

She was wearing a one-piece swimsuit under her dress. It was disappointing but made sense. She was expecting to swim here. Now he really was fired up.

"Let's do this, Haru! Ready, set….." There was no water. Fuck. Now there was really no reason for her to be in that ugly, plain swimsuit instead of a matching lacey bra and panty set.

"Lame." He said dropping the trophy on the floor on his way out. Now he needed to find something else to release the tension in his body.


	3. Chapter 3

Haruka noticed the hallway clock chimed again. Makoto would be here to pick her up soon but she just couldn't make a decision on what to wear. The outer layer was easy. She just went to her closet and grabbed the first seasonally appropriate thing she could find. It ended up being a light pink knit dress.

It was April 15t.. Not too hot. Not too cold. All you needed was a light sweater. Plus it was efficient over a swimsuit.

Haruka always used to hate it when her mom would make her wear dresses when she was younger. She didn't know at time that they were the easiest to remove. Or put back on when Makoto would scold her. Either way, they were the least amount of effort.

No, it was the swimsuit that was the center of her indecision. To anyone else, all of her eight options looked the same but each one fit differently. She tried wearing three at once before but sadly it didn't give her the best qualities of each. It was extremely awkward.

She sighed and picked the first one. It was her default and was starting to become stretched out. She didn't particularly like it more than any other but when she couldn't decide, she always went with the one Makoto gave her.

She rode her bike to the swim club. Being alone meant that she didn't have to half listen and respond in appropriate intervals. She wasn't in the mood for conversation. Haruka wasn't the most talkative person to begin with but she couldn't handle it tonight. Makoto would want to talk about the trophy. It was too much effort. She didn't particularly want to go dig it up. She especially didn't want to dig it up with just the three of them.

"I'm surprised to see you on time, Haru."

She didn't respond. There was no need. That was one of the reasons her and Makoto got along so well. He never expected anything of her. She would like to say she was the same but her best friend was so reliable it was almost impossible to gauge.

"Where is your flashlight?" Makoto asked noticing she had nothing in her hands.

"Didn't bring one."

Her last thought was possibly a lie. She did depend on Makoto but she didn't expect anything from him. For example, if he did not bring a flashlight of his own then she wouldn't care anyway. She simply assumed he would have one because he's Makoto.

"Are you guys ready?" Nagisa called out to them when he finally arrived.

He gave some lengthy explanation about salt being the reason she was late. Haruka wasn't paying attention. It was hard for her to concentrate on anything when the swim club looked so messed up. The last time she was here was when she raced Rin. In a morbid way the vandalism seemed fitting.

Nagisa said the place was haunted. Maybe she would see Rin's ghost. Not that she thought he was dead but based on how he acted last time; she figured a part of him died when he left here. Haruka wasn't superstitious she wouldn't mind seeing Rin's ghost. At least then it would be the four of them retrieving the trophy. She wouldn't be breaking a promise.

"Hey. This isn't salt. It's sugar." She said after inspecting the "salt" Nagisa threw on her.

She didn't have much of a sweet tooth so it felt strange to her lips. Instead she preferred salty snacks. They reminded her of the water of the ocean. Salted Mackerel was her favorite. She should stop. Thinking about Mackerel always made her hungry.

She watched as Nagisa and Makoto played rock-paper-scissors to see who would carry the flashlight. Apparently they only had one. Makoto forgot to bring his. She didn't care. At least he remembered the shovel. Digging up the trophy by hand wouldn't have been desirable. At least they could wash off the dirt in the pool.

"Well, it's all mental anyway, so sugar will still get the job done." Nagisa said with a smile on his face.

"Cliched as hell." Haruka responded and kicked an empty beer can that was in front of her.

"What was that?!" Makoto yelled and hid behind her.

Her body tensed from the grip on her shoulders. It was only painful for a second and then he let go of her shoulders and grabbed her hand. His skin felt abnormally warm compared to the chilled air. She glanced down at their joined for a moment but decided it was fine. This wasn't the first time they held hands. When they were younger, Makoto and her would often walk through town in this manner. There was also the numerous times that he would grab hold of her wrist and drag her away from 'inappropriate water' like fish tanks or pool displays.

It didn't matter. She would rather spend her time daydreaming about the pool. It was the middle of the night though so maybe that wasn't the right word. She was night dreaming while awake. As long as it was about water it was a good dream.

The dream was better than what they were currently doing. Makoto and Nagisa were dragging her around all the different crevices of the swim club. It was unlikely that they would get caught for trespassing but she still felt rushed. She didn't come for a trip down memory lane. Thinking about the past made her chest ache in a way that anti-acids wouldn't solve.

They should just go straight to the pool or the trophy. The pool would be preferable. She wanted to swim. Seeing everything from the past was depressing as hell. This isn't how she wanted things to happen. Rin wouldn't be happy. It was his idea to create the time capsule. He was so ecstatic about it.

_"Romantic, right?"_

Those were the words he said to her before he left for Australia. She remembered it made her heart skip a beat and her face feel hot. It was uncomfortable and she looked away. Now she wanted to look at him. She wouldn't turn her head. Rin should be here.

"Let's go, Haru."

"Yeah…." She said in a low tone and turned away from the photo that caused her to reminisce about the past. Rin wasn't here and he wasn't coming back. Not after the last time, when she hurt him. When she hurt Rin.

She was pulled [literally] out of her depressing thoughts when Makoto stopped walking. They were still holding hands and she lost her balance for a moment. That's what happens when you don't pay attention. But as long as you aren't crossing the street it's not that big of a deal.

There was a shadowy figure approaching from the hallway to the right. Makoto clenched her hand that she let out an embarrassing squeak. He let go and muttered an apology. It didn't bother her. Rin's ghost was here finally. Do ghosts get older? She was expecting to see a kid.

Rin's ghost wasn't a kid though. He wasn't happy to see them either, or at least, she didn't think so. She still felt uncomfortable when he looked at her. The few seconds that he stared at her made her chest feel tight and her stomach do flips.

All she could do was stare back at him. Nagisa and Makoto were moving towards Rin's ghost, who apparently wasn't a ghost because he was solid. Ghosts weren't solid. She wanted to join them but the uncomfortable feeling got worse when she realized that Rin was really here.

He looked sad. She wanted to touch him but the last time she reached out to him, he pulled away. She didn't want him to pull away again. Regardless, it didn't feel like she could move. The pressure had escalated and now it wasn't just her chest but her whole body that felt restricted.

"Haru, you're still hanging out with these guys? You never learn." Rin said in a harsh tone.

"And what about you? You learn anything? " This was weird. She heard herself talk but she didn't feel in control. This strange sensation wasn't limited to her mouth. Her feet were moving on their own also. She was walking next to Rin. They were going to race. That meant they were headed towards the pool. This was good because water would make everything better.

"I'll show you how different we are now." Rin's voice broke her musing about the feeling of water.

"Sure. Go ahead" She said as she threw off her dress.

Haruka usually had no qualms about undressing in public but this time it was different. Taking her clothes off in front of Rin felt extremely awkward. She didn't like it but she didn't want to swim in her dress either. At least she wore her swimsuit underneath her clothing so it wasn't really stripping.

Soon everything would be better. The water was so close. The whole reason she came on this excursion was going to come into fruition. All she had to do was jump off the block when Rin said "go." He was now saying "ready." Next comes set and then -

There wasn't any water. The pool was empty. Rin was leaving. There wasn't any water in the pool and Rin let the trophy fall to the floor. Coming here was definitely not worth the effort.


	4. Chapter 4

They had been together for as long as Makoto could remember. Even before his earliest memories, there was evidence of their friendship (or at that age, their mother's friendship) in the family photo album.

The oldest picture he could find was when they were between 6 and 8 months old. He was crawling over to Haruka, who was splayed out on top of a jungle themed activity mat. It was easy to tell them apart due to their features but also because it was before Haru was able to voice her pushy personality. She had cute purple ribbons holding up her abnormally full head of hair for an infant and also a purple onesie with hearts all over it. He, on the other hand, was dressed in a hunter green one with trucks. They were both smiling.

One would think that because of their history, they would be more like siblings than anything else. This wasn't some romantic comedy where the "childhood friends" eventually get together. That was just too strange of a concept. Or so he thought until that one unspeakable night, the night when he started to see Haru differently.

_One Year Prior_

_It finally happened. After almost a full year in the hospital Grandma Nanase passed away in her sleep. Makoto and Haru were going to see her after school, like they did every day. Haru would say that it was on the way back to their houses so there was no reason not to stop by. In reality it wasn't in the complete opposite direction but the hospital was in no means "on the way" home. _

_Makoto didn't mind though. He knew Haru needed to see her, to see the only family that she really felt a connection with. She was his kin too, in a way, because the Nanase and Tachibana families were so close, the feelings were mutual even if there wasn't any blood relation. She was his grandma too._

_That day everything changed though. As if on autopilot, the pair didn't bother to notice anything at odds until they reached Grandma's room, which was empty. "Maybe she's with a doctor." Haru said in a tense voice, well, tense to Makoto's ears at least. They waited for what seemed like forever but in hindsight were only a few minutes before Makoto decided to push the nurse call button._

_The woman came in the room with a confused look on her face, as if she had no clue why she was being summoned to room number 491. "Oh. Nanase-chan. Tachibana-kun…." She fumbled with her speech, restarting her sentences several times before finally saying "We called the Nanase residence this morning and talked to your mother. I wasn't expecting you because, well, I figured you would have known…." _

_Haru nodded and walked out of the room in silence. _

"_Haru," Makoto began but decided against it. He knew when was the right time to try to have a conversation and when it wasn't. Instead the walk home was silent, but not the comfortable silence that he often shared with Haru. The entire time he felt like he needed to say something but couldn't find the right words._

"_I'm going to take a long bath." She said when they arrived at her house. Haru's normal baths were usually an hour or two, so a long one would be, well, longer._

"_Ok. I'll come back this evening though. So please call me when you get out." He said as he watched her walk in and shut the door. As much as he wanted to stay with her, it was better this way. Haru didn't really get along with her parents - what teenage girl does - but they needed to grieve together. _

_He waited until 9pm to give up on that call and head over. He was surprised by loud music blasting and after setting down his shoes and excusing himself, which he doubted anyone would hear; he headed in the direction of the living room. _

_On instinct, his first stop was to the CD player, where he turned down the volume to save his eardrums from bursting. The action was immediately greeted with a whiney "Hey," from Haru._

_The uncharacteristic pout lasted for a split second before she shreaked "MAKOTO" and lunged at him. This was not what he expected. Hugs, maybe, but something was off. Way off._

_She smelled of her mother's perfume and something vinegary but sweet. His eyes fell to the bottles on the coffee table. There was a bottle of expensive brandy and two others of cheap plum wine. _

"_Why do you have…." He started to ask but was interrupted._

"_Want some?" Haru asked and pulled away from him. "I started with what was left of Grandma's brandy but there wasn't a lot so, I got more." She forcefully thrust a half empty bottle into his hand and opened a new one, taking a big gulp after it was opened._

"_How…" _

"_You can get a lot of things you shouldn't as a cute girl, silly." She giggled. _

_Finally, his brain was starting to catch up. He looked at Haru as if seeing her for the first time. It was; however, the first time he had seen her dressed in such a manner. She was clad in only a tight fitting tanktop and a middle school skirt, which, due to its small size, was fashioned at her natural waist. This caused the once knee length article to change into a miniskirt. _

"_Haru…"_

"_-Ka." She interrupted again._

"_Ka?" Why did he feel like he was one step behind of everything today?_

"_Har-u-ka." She said flirtatiously, wagging her finger and tilting her head with each syllable. This sent her into another fit of giggles. Makoto was shocked for a moment since he rarely ever heard her laugh. It was cute. She repeated herself again._

"_Haruka," he started. His tone was airy and his lips tingled at saying her full name. It felt strange after calling her "Haru" for so long. Then again, this whole situation was very strange. "Haruka." He said again, only this time more naturally._

"_Again!"_

"_Haruka."_

"_Again!"_

"_Haruka." This time he smiled when he said it. At least she was a fun drunk._

_This apparently pleased her since she responded by twirling around once and smiling at him. Another rarity and it caused his heart to skip a beat. It was beautiful. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her give a full toothy grin. She was beautiful when she smiled. _

"_Haruka, you shouldn't be drinking this stuff." He said, pulling his mind back to the present. He set down the bottle that she handed him and moved towards her with his arm outstretched, gesturing for the bottle that she was currently in her possession. _

"_No. It's tastey." She said and took another gulp. "Plus I had to get all dressed up just to get it." _

_Something clicked in Makoto's head and he responded in a serious tone. "You shouldn't have gone out dressed like that. Especially not to get alcohol. Who knows what could have happened to you."_

_She smirked and bit her nail. A nail that was freshly polished, Makoto noticed. "Why? Are you jealous?" Her voice sounded…. sensual. It caught him off guard how skilled she was at flirting._

"_I think, you've had enough." He said after several moments. He moved to take the bottle from her but she pulled away just at the right moment and caused him to lose his balance and slip on the empty bottle of brandy. _

_There was a loud crack as his head collided with the table. He rolled over and felt for blood. Thankfully there was none but the bump was enough to force him to shakes his head a few times to clear it._

"_Makoto. Makoto." His name was beginning to become clearer and he blinked a few times to see Haruka face taking up most of his visual space. She had crawled on top of him and was currently staring at him with a concerned look on her face._

"_That hurt." He said with a sheepish smile and scooted back to lean against the surface that caused his injury. This produced more giggles and she sat down, straddling his lap._

_He gulped. This was too much. She was too close. His whole body was beginning to tighten, with one area worse than any other. He was also pretty sure that he was breathing rather quickly._

_Her body heavy, but not in a bad way, on top of him. He felt himself blushing at her stare. Her eyes, lined with smoky makeup, were all too clear considering how intoxicated she was. _

"_Har—" He started but groaned when she squirmed against him._

"_Shhh." She said and placed a sultry fingertip to his lips. He felt like he was on fire. He could hear his heart beat in his ears as she leaned her forehead against his. Her other hand reached to grab a fistful of his shirt and she squirmed against him again. _

_Her sweet breath was threatening to intoxicate him as well and without noticing it, he reached his hands down to her silky thighs and began to play with the hem of her skirt. They were so soft. He wondered how soft her lips were. Full lips that we stained red by the wine. All he had to do was lean in not even an inch and they would touch. He could feel their heat and slide his tongue into her wet mouth. She was so close. All he had to do was…._

"_Don't leave me." She said and her gentle touch on his shirt transformed into a tight grip. _

"_What?" He asked. His brain was too foggy to process what's was happening. _

"_Please, don't ever leave me, Makoto. Everyone always leaves me. I don't want to be alone." Tepid drops – tears—hit his cheeks before she moved to bury her head into his neck. Her body began to shake with forceful sobs. _

_Gingerly, he pried his hands away from her hips to wrap around the small of her back. He began making cooing noises as he rubs circles along her spine. The mood was gone but his heart still continued to race and his breathing was still shallow._

"_It's ok, Haruka. I'm right here." He felt a tinge of guilt as the roughness of his voice. It took a while, but eventually those words, spoken over and over again, were becoming smoother. _

_He stopped once he noticed her sobs had ceased and her breathing had become deep and even. Awkwardly, he cradled her against him and carried the weak girl into her bedroom. In the corner of his eye he could see clothes thrown around and her mother's makeup littering her desk. For the first time, he wondered where they were. Why was Haruka home alone?_

"_Stay with me." She whispered as he set her down on the bed. When he didn't respond right way, she repeated herself in a pleading tone. "Please."_

_He sighed and crawled into the bed with her, praying that wherever Haruka's parents were, they wouldn't come home before he left. She sighed, contented, and cuddled up next to him. It wasn't the first time that they had slept in the same bed together, but it was the first time he felt hyper aware of her. Aware of her soft breasts against his chest and her leg wrapped around his hips. He groaned and began counting sheep, hoping eventually the breath that tickled his neck, which is what he was actually counting, would turn into sheep._

_Haruka slept late into the morning and he used that time to clean up the evidence of the night before, fearful of her parents walking through the door. It wasn't until he finished that he noticed the note on the fridge. It stated they would be staying overnight at her uncles and would return late afternoon after making funeral arrangements. _

"_Good morning, Haruka." He said when he noticed her walk into the kitchen. She responded by giving him a quizzical look. Well, he could tell that's what it was. Anyone else would see a blank stare._

"_Haru. You always call me Haru…" She said in her usual monotone voice and pulled out two pieces of mackerel and the tabletop grill._

"_Right. Haru-chan." She glared at him._

"Mak-o-to!" His mother called from the other room. "Your alarm has been going off for a while now. You are going to be late for school!"

He looked up from where he was sleeping at his desk. He felt restless last night so he started to look through old albums. Wiping drool off the plastic shell, he looked down at the picture of him and Haruka as babies. It was one of the few photos of her with a full smile.

'Thanks. Mom, I'm just going to jump into the shower and get going!" He closed the album and thought absently how it would be easier if he could just go back to seeing her as his kid sister but he couldn't. He has always loved her, but after that night, he was aware of things about Haruka he never wanted to know. Like the texture of her skin.


	5. Chapter 5

_They lured me in again. _Haruka thought as she stared out the train window. Nagisa was sleeping on her shoulder so she couldn't even get up and leave if she wanted. Not that she would but it was nice to have the option. Her eyes drifted over to Makoto, who had also fallen asleep, before turning back to watch the sunset.

"She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping!" Nagisa cooed and she shifted against the uncomfortable seat. He poked her in the face. Maybe if she stayed still, he would lose sight of her, like a tiny T-Rex. No. Nagisa's reach was too long for that comparison.

"Haru, we are almost at the pool." Makoto said as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She was naturally slow to wake up, and it wasn't until the smell of chlorine hit her sense that the grogginess started to fade. Water. They were near the Samezuka High indoor swimming pool.

"Do you see Rin?" She heard Nagisa say but it seemed distant.

"Can't find him. Maybe he's out today." Makoto responded, also sounding distant. The world around her was fading and all that mattered was the water. He senses were drowning out everything else.

Her school uniform had too many layers. First there was the jacket, then the sweater vest, followed by the bow tie and her button up shirt. That was only above the waist. There was also her skirt and thigh high socks. It was annoying.

"Don't take off clothes off here!" Makoto yelled frantically and grabbed hold of her hands before she could slip down her skirt. She glared at him before something snapped inside of her. She'd had enough.

"You're the one who brought me here to swim!" She yelled and struggled against his grip. "Now, let me go! Let me go!" He pulled back, startled by the reaction, hurt flashing in his eyes.

"Hold on, Haru!" Nagisa said, pushing the two of them apart. "You shouldn't yell things like that. Especially in your state with two guys… It's suspicious!" He looked around, panicked. When he didn't see anyone his shoulders slacked and the smile returned to his face. "Let's wait until practice is over and everyone's gone. Okay?"

She sighed and looked longingly towards the pool. This wasn't fair. It was so close. Briefly, she wondered if she could sneak away before deciding against it. It was too much effort. Feeling dejected she began to button up her shirt again and listened to Nagisa and Makoto's hussed conversation.

"I think Haru's on the rag. We shouldn't set her off."

"What?"

"You know. On her period." Makoto stayed silent so Nagisa sighed and continued. "Menstruating! My sisters and mom always go off with no warning. We need to be careful."

She glared at them and sulked over to the nearest tree and pulled out her school notebook, which had more doodles in it than notes. Just because she was in a bad mood didn't mean she was menstruating. Stupid boys.

* * *

Rin thought he smelled Mackerel.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked as he glared down at the sight before him. Makoto and Nagisa were chasing and splashing each other like children. It took him a while to locate Haru, who was floating off near the corner of the pool with an expression of pure bliss.

He couldn't decide if the look on her face was sexy or creepy. In any other situation, he would have chosen the first, but Haru was just weird. No one should be that excited about water. With that said, he did appreciate the view.

Her long hair was undone, causing the strands to fan out. Although the look of ecstasy on her face creeped him out, it also made him wonder what she looked like in action. Makoto seemed to have his work cut out for him in order to compete with swimming.

"Rin!" the two boys called out to him in excitement.

"Get out!" He yelled at them. He didn't need his old friends. He didn't need to be reminded of that time in his life ever again. As if sensing his feeling, Haru swam to the edge of the pool near where he was standing and muttered something that sounded like 'free'.

"Huh?" he asked, confused.

"Did you forget? I told you that I only swim freestyle." She said in a solemn manner and lifted herself out of the pool. "I want you to show me again. I've forgotten what it was that I saw."

It took a few moments for his brain to catch up with her words. The way the water was dripping off her was distracting. He also couldn't help but notice the awkward way she pushed her hair away from her face. It seemed strange for her to do anything other than shake her head back and forth.

"Sure, I can do that." He said fiercely. "But it won't be the same this time. I'll be showing you something completely different!"

"Just keep it PG-13! We are all minors here!" Nagisa yelled and cackled, effectively breaking the intense atmosphere that was built up. Leave it to those guys to never take anything seriously.

"Says the guy who is skinny dipping." Rin said trying his best not to smile.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Haru falter during her search for goggles and a hair tie. Of course she wouldn't have noticed. He turned towards her avoid watching Nagisa get out of the pool. It was definitely not because he enjoyed the way her body arched when she tied her hair up in a tight bun.

He sighed and made his way to the starting block. A surge of energy rushed through him as he waited for his rival to get into position. It's been awhile since he's been this excited. He glanced towards her but was only met with a characteristic nonchalant gaze.

"As always, I can't make any sense of you."

"Whatever. You better get ready, Rin."

"And you're as icy as ever." The nostalgic feeling was gone. He couldn't go back to that time. Things were different now. "Yeah…. you really piss me off."

"Makoto," he heard her say. Whether she couldn't sense the mood change or didn't care, made no difference. When there was water involved, Haru had a one-track mind. "Give us the start signal."

His kick was perfect. So was the landing. Perhaps his time in Australia wasn't a total waste. No, that wasn't true. The water never lied and he could feel something off. This wasn't the same person he'd lost to so many times before. The water felt different, she felt different.

Haru was behind at every turn but that wasn't too out of the ordinary. He could always beat her at the 50 meter free. It was 100 that he lost. During that last half, something would change within her. It was as if she always swam just enough to beat him. It was annoying.

That wasn't what caught him off guard though; it was the feeling of the water near her. Whenever he would watch Haru swim, or especially when he raced her, the water felt calm, peaceful. It wasn't that way now.

Still, he couldn't shake her. She was so close but he still won. Victory was all that mattered. Victory would allow him to move on. He yelled as he pulled off his gear and slammed his fist into the water.

He looked over at the panting girl next to him. It was meaningless. Despite his superior time, he still couldn't feel an ounce of pride. Not only was the girl obviously out of shape, but also they weren't little kids anymore. Haru shouldn't be his equal. He still couldn't let go of their last race.

He couldn't let go of the way she blind sighted him. For months he tried to convince himself that the reason he lost was because his was in shock_. _He thought the relay team was made up of boys with girly names. It made sense that finding out he had been lied to would mess him up. This argument wasn't convincing though.

It didn't account for the fact that, whether Haru would race him or not, her time during trials was always lower. After several attempts, Rin learned how to sneak glances at the stopwatch before Makoto would delete the evidence. Haru was just faster than him. That's why she won their race, and that's why he threw a temper tantrum. His middle school mind couldn't handle that he lost to a girl.

""You win. That's great, Rin." Haru's monotone voice pulled him out of brooding.

"That's great?" He asked, blood boiling. He glared at her with her noncommittal face. Dear god, she pissed him off. "That's all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say?" She whispered back.

Forgetting where he was, he grabbed ahold of her goggles and pulled her closer. Her breath tickled his damp skin, making his body feel even more on fire but for another reason. She returned his glare with a blank expression, revealing nothing and not resisting. Challenging.

He was going to make her regret that. He was going to pin her against the edge of the pool and devour her mouth. Bite into the delicate skin of her neck. Rip off that ugly ass swimsuit and make her scream.

Before any of this could happen; however, Makoto was on him. He jumped into the pool with a loud splash and pulled them apart, wedging himself in between Rin and Haru.

"What happened to you, Rin?" He asked concern and anger dancing across his face.

"So Frustrating," was the only reply that Rin could muster.

He gave one more glance at Haru, who was completely out of sight behind the broad torso of her protector, before making a tsk sound and sulking out of the pool. Extra care was given to make sure that only his back was showing to his childhood friends. Makoto would be even angrier if he knew what Rin was really thinking of Haru at that moment.

* * *

**Nagisa describing girls made me LOL. Hopefully it did for you too. Sounds like something a 15 year old would say. **


	6. Chapter 6

_Eight Years Prior_

"_Can you pass me the yellow?" He asked eying the stack of crayons that were being hoarded by his companion._

_He didn't blame her though. When water was inaccessible, art was her way to vent frustrations. When she showed up at his house during her normal swim practice asking if he wanted to color, Makoto knew something had to be wrong._

"_That's the green one." He said with a smile._

"_I know that."_

"_I asked for yellow."_

_She nodded and exchanged the colors before continuing the scene. Based on his third grade understanding of art therapy, Makoto assumed something happened at practice. He came to this conclusion due to her drawing, which was of a dolphin swimming free in the ocean. This wouldn't have been too out of the ordinary if her previous three creations weren't of a dolphin caged, breaking free, and evading it's captures._

"_Haru." He began again hoping she had gotten out enough energy to be ready to talk._

" _I only swim free."_

_Before he could say anything else, the sound of the doorbell caught the attention of both children. Haru tensed but continued her project, pretending nothing was happening. Makoto, on the other hand, crawled to the edge of his room and put his ear up against the door to hear the conversation._

"_Please tell me Haruka is here." The voice sounded like it was Mrs. Nanase. Makoto looked back towards his friend but she gave no reaction. That confirmed it._

"_Yes, she is." This time it was his mom. There was some rustling but it didn't sound like either parent were making their way over so Makoto stayed in his position._

"_I've had it with that child. I can't take it anymore. Why can't she just be normal, Misa. The only persons she likes are my mother and Makoto. I was hoping that putting her in swim club would help her make friends but she's getting worse. She got in an altercation because another girl wanted to help Haruka learn the backstroke because she refuses to swim anything other than 'freestyle.' "_

"_You know how she is when she gets an idea in her head. It's only been a few weeks. Give it time."_

"_Maybe I could try putting her into art lessons. She's a wonderful artist." Makoto heard a crayon snap. No, Haru belonged in the water. Haru was happiest when she was swimming._

"_NO!" He said with as much force as his small body could muster and ran into the living room. Both adults turned to look at him in surprise. "You can't take swimming away from Haru! She loves it!"_

"_Makoto," his mother began before she was interrupted._

"_She can join the boy's team with me! Nothing bad will happen, I promise."_

"_Makoto." His mother said again before sighing. She turned to Mrs. Nanase and shrugged. " I can talk to Goro Sasabe to see if he cares. Makoto has been afraid to swim since the fishing accident so I would love to get him back in the water."_

_They all turned when Haru entered the room. There was a stillness that lasted only a moment before Mrs. Nanase began wailing and scolding her daughter. _

"_Haruka! What did you do to your pretty hair?' She began to play with the short uneven locks, fussing over whether or not it could be 'saved' somehow. Haru didn't seem to care; however, and just stared at her mother with a sparkle in her eyes._

"_I cut it with the scissors that were in Makoto's art box. If I am going to be on the boy's team, I should have short hair too." _

"_No wonder it looks like you just hacked off your pony tail."_

* * *

It really shouldn't be this difficult. Haruka eyed herself in the bathroom mirror with aversion. She should probably go to a salon for a cut but she didn't feel like it. Stylists expected you to talk and she didn't want to carry on a conversation and especially not about her hair.

She had wanted to chop it off for years but never felt like she could. Seeing her with long hair again made Grandma happy plus there was no reason to keep it short. Not after she quit swimming competitively. So, she left it alone after that day. The day she hurt Rin.

Now she could finally cut it. Or, could she? It was annoying, cumbersome, and didn't fit under a swim cap well. Still, a part of her was having trouble letting go.

"Annoying."

She forcefully shut her eyes and began to cut through the dense tresses. With every clump that fell to the floor, a weight was being lifted. Not only the physical weight of thick, waist length strands, but also emotional.

It wasn't until she looked in the mirror again that she realized that she was crying. It was gone; years of guilt and shame were absent from her reflection. She wasn't completely free but it was a start.

"You missed some spots. Do you want me to fix it?" Makoto said.

He must have entered the room when she was absorbed in her task. Absently, she wondered how long he had been there but decided it didn't matter. She didn't mind sharing the once private moment with him.

She nodded and turned to hand the shears to him and watched through the mirror as he inspected the hack job. Even though he never asked and she never told him why she grew her hair out, Makoto understood. He always understood.

Closing her eyes again, Haruka allowed herself to relax and focus on the sensation of his fingers running over her scalp. Neither of them said any words, but a conversation was happening anyway. He knew. He knew that swimming with Rin again had initiated a healing process and this was the next step. After four long years, it was time for forgiveness.

"Do you like it?" He asked, sounding nervous.

She looked over his broad shoulders to view herself in the mirror. It wasn't what she expected but she wasn't really expecting anything either. It was a little longer than chin length but not everywhere, just the side opposite of her part. The rest was shorter but not overly so. It looked fashionable, not that she particularly cared about such things.

Without a word, she moved past him to turn on the faucet. She began to play with the longer side for a few moments as the water warmed. Their eyes met in the mirror and Makoto smiled and nodded. Did he know what she was doing?

Haruka put her hair under the running water and waited for it to become sufficiently soaked. When it was, she lifted her head out and began to shake it back and forth. Too much time had passed since she was able to do this.

"It's perfect."

* * *

**A/N: ****I wasn't sure where I wanted to add a "Haru cutting her hair" scene. So, instead I made it a whole chapter. Yay for more MakoHaru cuteness!**

**Thank you for all the reviews I received the last few days. Also to everyone who favorited and started following this story! It really motivates me to keep writing.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Even though Rei isn't going to be a main character in this fanfic, I felt the need to give him an introductory chapter anyway. That way, if I do decide to have him participate in a love quadrilateral with Makoto and Rin, I have something set up for that already.**

**Next chapter is Rin so please bare through the awkwardness of this one for the good stuff ;)**

* * *

"I won't join the swim team." Rei said, not even bothering to look up from his "Physical Training" book. He had already joined the track team and taking part in multiple sports clubs wasn't allowed. The fact that he couldn't swim didn't even matter.

It was hard to avoid Hazuki-san. They were in the same class, not to mention that boy was persistent. Multiple times a day, as if by fate, they would run into each other. Logically, that couldn't be the case. Rei was sure that the smaller boy planned it all out. He didn't believe in fate, a beautiful idea but implacable.

Still, his resolve was beginning to run low. His responses were becoming less curt and more long-winded. A need to explain himself welled up inside. Maybe then Hazuki-san would understand.

It didn't work. Rei noticed the blonde mange of hair out of the corner of his eye. Now he was being followed to track practice? It was perfect. He would show off his beautiful abilities and the recruiter would be so overcome with wonder, there would be no way he could possibly suggest to Rei that leaving would be better. He laughed inwardly. It was a brilliant idea.

"Bar height: 4.20 meters. Set takeoff speed to V. Set acceleration to a. Gravity is g. If the center of gravity, after taking into account hole length is h, then the angel of approach…" He had it. With stiff but perfect form, Rei began running towards the bar.

The angle the stick was perfect. His lead was also perfect. Twist? He miscalculated the angle of approach. He needed to study more.

Stalker-san was waiting at the train station. This was becoming irritating. Perhaps a report to the teachers was in order. Especially since 'Nagisa' began using his first name. He wasn't a fan of being called Rei, or pushy people. It wasn't beautiful. It disregarded reason.

"What do you want?" He sighed. Running with Nagisa wasn't too horrible. It's been a while since he had company. Usually he would run calculations in his head but the laid back atmosphere was relaxing also. He didn't mind compliments. What he did mind; however, was when someone defied logic.

There was no way this 'Haru' could be beautiful swimming. After looking up the name in class records, he found her and became curious. He huffed and ran out to the front gates. Curiosity killed the cat but cats are allowed nine lives. He should be fine.

"Why does my name matter if they have GIRL member?"

"Huh?" The group said in unison.

"So you're Haru." He had to admit, she was striking but even that perfect phi ratio couldn't look decent swimming. Even if her eyes were the same hue as the ocean, humans evolved to be on land. Still, he was curious.

"I'm willing to participate in your joint practice as a trial member. But only on one condition." He pushed his glasses higher up on his nose and continued. "I won't do any swimming."

He continued to watch Haru out of the corner of his eye during the long commute to the joint practice. There was something about her aurora that intrigued him. He wasn't particularly fond of gloomy girls but this one seemed more 'distant' than gloomy. Memories of his psychology class flashed through his head as he analyzed her tendencies. Haruka Nanaese had caught his attention but purely on an academic level.

For example, the way she began to strip off her clothes the moment they stepped into the gym was fascinating. He read that such a disorder existed, but never believed such disregard for surroundings was possible.

"Haru, you can't change here." Makoto said and threw her jacket back over her shoulders.

"I have my swimsuit on under my clothes." She replied flatly.

"Still. Go into the girl's locker room."

"Why?" Rei was intrigued on whether Haru truly didn't understand or had some other reason for her actions. Based on Makoto's mannerisms, it appeared as if they had this conversation often.

"Because you are in a room full of guys, Haru."

"You don't have to use my name at the end of every sentence." She mumbled before sulking towards the other side of the gym.

Rei heard snickers coming from the members of the Samezuka Academy team. Considering Iwatobi High only had one swim club, it wasn't impossible for one of the members to be a girl. It would still surprise someone from a powerhouse school, he supposed.

Too bad their conversation was more centered on swimsuits than athletic ability. Rei strained his ears to hear more. Some of the members had split off, taking bets on bra sizes.

"You're Nanase, right?" He watched as the captain of the swim team addressed Haru once she joined the rest of the group. Her stance was ridged; it was understandable considering the conversations that were just barely in earshot.

"You won a bunch of regional tournaments in grade school." The captain continued, this time louder so that his voice carried across the whole gym. "I've heard a lot about you. You may not remember, but when you won the Iwatobi regional, I was second. I still remember how you beat me on the 50 meter turn."

The chatter stopped. Haru's stance didn't ease. Her eyes were fixated on an angry sounding boy with a scowl on his face. Rei frowned not liking the atmosphere.

"What's his problem?" He asked to Makoto, who also seemed tense. The taller boy relaxed and sighed.

"Yeah, there's some history there."

He didn't have time to worry about it; however, since he was being forced into a swimsuit for practice. The deal was that he didn't have to swim. This wasn't fair. He began to shake as he walked up to the starting block.

It'll be fine. It's about 50 centimeters from the surface to the starting block. Set acceleration to v. Set entry angel to theta. Assuming that the water viscosity is equal to r…. Calculate the power I should use when kicking off.

His form was beautiful. That is, until he landed in the water and sank.

He was going to drown in a school swimming pool. It felt like an eternity before he felt gentle arms pull him up from the water.

"Are you alright?" He heard Haru whisper into his ear. He nodded and felt her give him a reassuring squeeze.

If he wasn't so caught up in the moment, he would have noticed the strange looks his female caretaker was receiving. Instead he was absorbed by the beautiful smile she showed only him. It was there for an instant when she leaned over to place a towel over his head.

Did he imagine it? It wasn't filled with pity but instead he felt there with something else. During that brief time their eyes met, he could see only understanding, as if she knew exactly what he was going through.

Then the kindheartedness was gone, replaced with a bored expression as she made her way to the starting block. He was carrying on a conversation with Makoto and Nagisa, but his attention was Haru.

The moment she dove into the water, it was as if she became a beacon of light. Rei felt the towel slide down to his neck as he stood in amazement. The sight transcended reality and he wasn't just watching it. He could feel it. It felt as if Haru wasn't swimming in the water, but flying in the sky.

There was no theory, and no calculations. He had never seen something so natural before. Rei felt his heart being snatched away by Haru, who looked as if she were gliding. It was a sight more beautiful than he had ever seen.

He wasn't sure if he could ever swim like that, but either way. He wanted to join the swim team. He wanted to be near Haruka Nanase.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Two for one special, apparently. Your reviews are what got me to post these together and so quickly. Chezleee, I hope Rin sexiness makes up for all the Makoto cuteness? **

* * *

"Is Haruka-sempai looking to buy a swimsuit too?" Gou asked when she noticed the other girl break away from the group.

"Probably." Makoto said in a cheerful yet exasperated tone. "She always at least browses whenever we go to the city."

Panic washed through Gou as she wondered what should be her next move. If she stayed with the boys there was a possibility she would have a chance to see a combination you don't see everyday: changing rooms and muscles. On the other hand, she felt her skills as manager of the swim club and a fellow female would be more useful to Haruka.

With a sad sigh, Gou ventured off in the direction that Makoto pointed. Apparently her sempai exclusively shopped on a specific rack so she would be easy to find. The sporting goods store was quite large and by the time Gou reached Haruka she was eager to assist.

"Haruka-sempai, don't you already own that suit?" She said with a smile when she found the raven-haired girl. Haruka was holding up two on piece suits that were dark purple with a lavender stripe. They looked identical to each other and identical to the one that was always worn to practice.

"They all fit differently. I'm going to try these on."

"Wait, wait. Let's see if we can find something different." Gou said, pulling on the other girl's arm. Despite their similar build, Haruka seemed to be much stronger, or at least, skilled in standing still.

"Don't want to."

"It will be fun! Besides, you need some variety." Gou didn't receive a response but at least the other girl was moving.

After prying answers to simple questions out of Haruka, Gou realized that she definitely made the right decision. With limited funds and a long list of needs, her shopping expertise would not be wasted. The girl had eight suits that looked exactly the same but no sports bras and no running shoes.

"Hey! Fancy meeting you here!" Gou looked up from the shoes she was examining to see Captain Mikoshiba. "Doing some shopping on the go, Gou?"

"Please don't use 'go' and 'Gou' in the same sentence."

"The team is here looking for new swimsuits."

"Does that mean my brother is here?" She asked and looked towards Haruka, who was absently staring at the pile of athletic gear that they accumulated. A sneaky smile played across her face as she turned back to the captain. "Think you can get him to use the changing rooms that are located in the camping area?"

"Yes, but why would he go all the way over there?" Mikoshiba asked and scratched his head.

* * *

Sports bras were annoying and complicated but not as complicated as normal bras. That's why Haruka usually wore her swimsuit under her clothing. It was comfortable and allowed her to strip down and enter water whenever it became available.

Lift and tuck. Those were the directions that Kou gave her in regards to getting these things to fit. They were supposed to be ungodly tight, which is why she had to lift up her boobs to be squished. Otherwise, apparently, they would get saggy. Which is why she couldn't run in her swimsuit. Or at least not the 8 that she had already. A whole stack of "approved" swimwear was arranged in the corner. There was something special about a built in bra. This was too much work.

"Kou. I don't think this fits." She said as she walked out of the dressing room wearing the matching yoga shorts and bra that Kou picked out. The bottoms fit fine, but the top probably did not. It was a pain to get on plus her boobs seemed to be lifted too much, it looked like a push-up one, not something anyone would want to run in. "I guess they don't move though." She jumped up and down a few times. Where was Kou?

"Haru?" She heard and looked up from where she was inspecting her breasts to see the embarrassed face of Kou's older brother.

"Kou picked it out." She didn't know why she felt the need to explain herself but the way Rin was looking at her felt awkward. The already tight top was feeling even more restricting. It was uncomfortable but not entirely unpleasant.

Rin sighed and regretfully pulled his eyes off Haru. That would explain the seemingly random text earlier that read "HaruxMako no dating," with a million hearts after it. It was also probably the reason the captain nearly forced him into this area of the store and why Haru was wearing his favorite colors, black and red. His sister was plotting again.

"I wanted to talk to you anyway. Come with me." She nodded and returned to the dressing room. This wasn't the first time Rin had gone shopping with a girl, between his sister and dates, he was used to waiting. However, he never remembered feeling so antsy knowing that a girl was changing behind a thin vinyl curtain.

The pair was silent until they reached a shaded spot outside the shopping mall. "You look good with short hair. It suits you better." Rin said finally, breaking the ice.

"Thanks." Haruka replied after several moments. The compliment caught her off guard. She didn't want to talk about her hair but if it was with Rin, then she didn't mind as much.

"Haru, what have you been doing these three years?" He said after a long pause.

"Growing my hair."

Rin couldn't tell if she was serious or joking. Haru always had a dry sense of humor that left him feeling confused. Her expressions weren't any indication of her intent also. Either way, the comment did cause him to chuckle.

"Seems like a waste to cut it then. Wouldn't be any good for swimming though." A light bulb went off in his head. Had Haru stopped swimming? That notion seemed impossible but it would explain a few things.

"I didn't know you were so interested in hairstyles." She said and began to fuss with the longer portion. Rin stood mesmerized by the gesture for a few moments. He never noticed how cute Haru was when she was nervous.

"You're better than this." When she didn't respond, he clarified. "You're better than this in regards to swimming."

"I'm not better than someone who just got back from Australia."

"Are you mocking me?" Haruka gave Rin a confused look. It would be silly to mock him about something like that. There was no point.

"I'm not. You won our race."

"I'd be hard not to beat you, given the shape you are in."

"A win is a win. You won." She sighed and looked away. He cared too much about these types of things. "Isn't that good enough?"

"It's not!" Rin violently responded. "I want a real race!" He sighed and averted his eyes. In a softer tone, he continued. "Or else… I can't move on."

"You're a pain." Haruka said and began walking away. She was done with this conversation. It was too much effort. "I only swim free. I won't swim for you."

The next thing she knew, she was being pinned against the fence. A strange squeak like sound escaped her lips at the impact and she noticed her heart was beating too fast. It made her chest feel like it was going to explode. This is why she purposefully kept her distance when they were talking. Now, he was too close but there was no way for her to widen the gap between their bodies.

"Rin," Her voice sounded strange. It was high-pitched and barely audible. She was trembling and was fairly certain that her face was beet red.

He just stared with piercing eyes. It seemed he didn't know what to do now either, despite the fact that he was the one who initiated this situation. Either that, or he was having some sort of internal struggle.

"Haru," He finally responded in a voice that also sounded strange.

Then he was kissing her in a manner that was equally, if not more rough than his voice had been. His lips crashed into hers without permission. It caught her off guard and she couldn't help but gasp at the contact.

It was as if years of pent up aggression was being released through his lips. Rin's tongue slid over hers skillfully, which clashed with her own. She lifted her arms to push him off but never got that far.

Instead, her hands clutched at his shirt with a grip so strong her knuckles were probably white. It felt like forever until Haru began to clumsily return the kiss. Her modest movements did nothing to dismay Rin. In contrast, his forced closer grinding against her.

At some point, the trembling ended and her uncooperative movement became more fluid, matching his own. Haruka let out a moan as his hands moved from the fence to grip her hips. She couldn't breathe but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the feeling of Rin's touch.

Her body was tingling all over and never before had her clothing felt so restrictive. She was even wearing the most comfortable thing in her closet, leggings and a tunic, so why did they annoy her so bad?

She felt his lips leave hers the same time his hands travelled up, under her tunic. His fingers explored around the curve of her waist, over her abdomen and then finally settled to cup her chest. He chuckled against her jaw as his fingers felt a nylon swimsuit rather than smooth skin. "Only you, Haru." He said and continued nip at her neck.

She felt his pointed teeth graze along the sensitive skin and absently wondered if they would leave a mark. It didn't matter though. She was in her own little world. A world belonging to her and Rin, and nothing could change that.

"Rin!" She yelped when he bit down on the flesh between her neck and collarbone. That definitely would leave a mark. He smiled and returned to her lips.

Despite the information he received from Gou, Rin had no clue what her relationship was like with Makoto. It was obvious now that they weren't sexual with each other. With the amount of coaxing it took to get the girl to respond, he assumed they haven't even kissed. He longed to see the other boys face when he noticed the hickey. Rin was, after all, the possessive type.

He growled at the sound of his name, spoken so breathlessly it made him ache. He pushed even harder against her, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his middle. If she was this enthusiastic over making out, he needed to kick Nitori out of their dorm for the night. Multiple nights. He wouldn't let her leave.

"I'm going to make you mine, Haru." He said against her flushed skin. She mewled in response and he continued. "And you are going to swim for me."

"If that's the case, I want you to promise me something." Her voice was still sultry sounding but she didn't care. "If you lose, don't say you're going to quit. Don't embarrass yourself by crying."

He laughed and was ready to devour her again when voices penetrated his awareness.

"Gou, there you are, is something the matter?"

Haruka heard them too and her eyes widen. Those words pushed away the haze that was blocking her mind and she tensed. The world that they shared began to crumble and reality was starting to sink in.

Panicked, she pushed away ran to join the rest of the swim club.


	9. Chapter 9

Haruka slumped down and began blowing bubbles in the bathwater. Grandma Nanase wasn't around to yell at her anymore. Still, a pang of guilt washed over the teen. She was too old to play with the bathwater.

"Stupid Rin." She muttered and submerged her whole head. The warm liquid felt cool against her flushed skin. Usually she would stay like this until Makoto would pull her out or she couldn't breathe. Whatever came first. However, that couldn't happen today. Not if she wanted to avoid talking about the marks.

She tried to remember when they appeared exactly. The group left fairly soon after finding Kou and her 'taking a break,' from shopping. Haruka doubted that the excuse worked. Then again, none of the boys saw her with Rin. Maybe it was believable that picking out and trying on athletic apparel was the reason she looked so worn out.

Actually, she had no idea what was inside the bag Makoto carried home. Kou finished up everything without her. She apologized to the water for leaving early and got out of the tub to double-check her reflection in the mirror.

Still there. Haruka lightly traced the purple bite mark at the base of her neck. It was perfectly pronounced, as if someone had drawn it on her skin. Unlike the other hickeys, which began to fade after the first day, this one seemed to get darker. Damn Rin was serious about marking his territory.

The sound of the door opening interrupted her musing and she quickly buttoned up the top of her shirt. Usually she hated the collar on the school uniform but not today. Today, she was thrilled.

"Haru?" Makoto asked with confusion in his voice.

This was the first time Haruka wasn't soaking in the tub when he arrived. He stared, stunned for a moment, before looking away. Even though he had seen her undress and redress countless times, they were typically in public. Seeing Haruka wearing only her button up shirt while they were alone in her house seemed too erotic.

"Do you have a fever?" She asked and Makoto could hear the concern in her voice. "Your face is red."

"No. I'm…" He started to say but trailed off.

Something had caught his attention. Mixed in with her usual swimsuits was something that didn't match. It wasn't one of the new ones that were purchased with Gou, since those were still the same color scheme. This was different; a red and black two-piece stood out against a sea of lavender and dark purple. Attached to one of the bra straps with a safety pin was a note. Makoto was too far away to read the message, but something about the script seemed familiar.

"No. I don't have a fever." He said pulling his gaze off the pile of laundry.

As much as he wanted to know what it said, He couldn't just start going through a girl's things, even Haru's. Also, a part of him didn't want to know where or who it came from. Especially since if he cared to think about it, the answer wouldn't be too difficult.

* * *

Chigusa watched as another attempt at Makoto Tachibana was shut down. To his credit, Makoto was never rude or made up lame excuses. There was never an "I'm just focusing on my studies," or even "I like someone else," even though the latter was painstaking obvious. So obvious, she wondered why Namaki Ami from class 2-4 was even trying.

"Thank you, Namaki-chan. I appreciate the gesture, really I do," Makoto said and proceeded to explain, in detail, various reasons why he wouldn't make a good boyfriend. It was very noble and probably a little masochistic but usually got the job done.

Ami, on the other hand, didn't seen to be taking the hint. Even when her friend, Tokiyo, gestured it was time to leave. The love note was instantly returned after all.

"It's because of Nanase Haruka, right?"

"Um, well." Makoto responded sheepishly as if this was the first time someone ever called him out.

"I saw her in the bathroom with Matsuoka Gou just now." Ami paused suddenly to create dramatic effect. "She was asking if there was such a thing as waterproof concealer. I even saw the hickeys and bite marks she wanted covered up."

Chigusa watched Makoto intently as his expression changed from his 'heart-throb rejection face' to genuine upset to 'neutral but smiling." The two girls began to argue on the topic as if what was said wasn't completely uncalled for. She sighed and decided it was time to get involved.

"You saw it too, right Chigusa? You were in the bathroom just a minute ago."

"Actually –" She began but was rudely interrupted by Tokiyo.

"I told you. It didn't look like a HUMAN bite mark. It came from something with pointed teeth. Maybe a dog or something attacked her. Right Chigusa? Besides there was only one not five."

"Shark bite." Makoto said quietly. Ami and Tokiyo looked like they were about to start screaming. It was time to send those girls back to their class.

"Yes. I was there and before you say anything else, I have no idea what you are talking about. How about instead of spreading rumors you go back to your own class before the bell rings? He gave you an answer already."

Chigusa didn't even bother to watch them leave. Instead her gaze was transfixed on Makoto, who was working very hard to hide his emotions. She felt compelled to say something but didn't want to lie to him either. Lie again anyway.

"You're Chigusa Hanamura, right? Kou's friend."

"Kou?"

"Gou?"

They both laughed and Chigusa was happy to that the bad atmosphere has been broken. Makoto always smiled and anything else just wouldn't be right. He was too handsome to be upset.

* * *

Rin glanced down at his phone. It would have made noise if a response came through but since he was in the pool, there was a chance he didn't hear it. There was nothing new. The screen was the same the last time he read it fifteen minutes ago.

_Nanase Haruka _

_ Why aren't you at the joint practice?_

_You know I can tell when you read a text._

_We both have iphones._

_-Read 16:48_

He was about to give up when a one-word response reading 'work,' appeared in the conversation. Absently, he noticed Makoto's phone beep several seconds after his own. He didn't need to guess who it was from.

"It looks like Haru got out of work early, so I'm going to go pick her up." The broad shouldered boy said after looking at his phone.

"Yay! I was so surprised when she said she couldn't make it! When Haru turns down water, there's something wrong with the world." Nagisa exclaimed.

"She said another teacher called off so it couldn't be helped."

"Hey, Makoto." Rin said as he stepped in the taller teen's path. "I can go get Haru so you don't miss out on your time trial."

"No, It's fine. The daycare she works at is really close to here so it would take more time to give directions." Makoto countered with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. When he tried to turn, Rin sidestepped him.

"I can swim in the indoor pool whenever so just tell me where to go."

"Really. It's better if I just go." Makoto said in a firm but quiet tone. It seemed the meaning of his words were meant just for Rin. His stance became ridged and his eyes hard for a moment before he was back to his usual self.

"I'll be back with Haru in a bit guys." He said over his shoulder after pushing past Rin.

* * *

She didn't look beautiful. Rei hated thinking such thoughts but when he saw Makoto return with Haruka, he couldn't help it. Upon finding out out that she worked with preschoolers, he expected her to return with a hand full of drawings her class made for her; not drawings all over her hands and arms.

"Pikachu! Totoro! Oh, oh! Even Keroro!" Nagisa shouted and pointed at the illogically placed Anime characters decorating Haruka's arms. "Where did you get these? I want a Mokona on my shoulder!"

"Actually, I have that." Makoto laughed and handed a strip of temporary tattoos to the other boy. "Shogo-kun had some leftover from playing tattoo parlor."

"Haruka-sempai, I don't know if you should let the kids pretend to own body modification shops…." Rei said in a concerned tone.

"It's ok. We use fake needles and I don't let them pierce anything below the neck."

Rei hoped Haruka was joking but he didn't know her well enough to tell. There were subtle differences in her expressions but he didn't have enough data to make an accurate chart. It would be more efficient if they were in the same class but most of their time together was during club activities.

A whole 76.3487% of his observation time involved swimming or staring at water. When he factored in the amount of time she spent thinking about mackerel and sleep, that didn't leave much space for her sense of humor. Perhaps if he graphed her mannerisms differently, separating out anything that had to do with water, it would be easier to get to know her.

He watched as she made her way to the starting block. There was something odd about her strides; they were off by six degrees and edgy when normally she would be fluid and graceful. It wasn't until she dove into the water that she seemed herself again.

"Hey Rei," Nagisa's voice breached his concentration. "Did you notice that Haru-chan had a giant Hamtaro on her neck? I wonder why there is only one there when all the other ones were used to make sleeves."

* * *

**A/N: I can't tell if this turned out extremely awkward or it's just that the last several instalments only had one POV/scene. It could also be that this was written in multiple sittings, which always messes with the flow I think. My daughter is teething hardcore so it's been hard to devote time to write when she's clingy. **

**Anyway enough about me... I hope you enjoyed this chapter of epic love rivalry! I see Rei as a sexy abed from Community sometimes so that's what inspired his section. I hope it's cute and not creepy? Or a little of both? LOL!**

**Thanks again for all the reviews! I'm so thrilled you liked the last chapter! There won't be any lemons for a little while and I think when I get to those parts, I am going to make it a different story that way if someone isn't interested in 'girl porn' they don't have to read it. Or I guess I can just put a warning in the chapter title... See you in a couple days with the "Training Camp From Hell!"**


	10. Chapter 10

She didn't believe him. It was unusual for Makoto to lie, but she knew that was the case here. Makoto was afraid of the ocean, so why did he agree to the 'Training Camp from Hell on a Deserted Island?" It didn't make sense.

"Makoto," Haruka began.

"It's fine." He responded without looking up from where he was sorting camping gear.

Obviously not fine. He didn't even know what she was going to say. They were double checking supplies. She could have had something to say about that. Maybe she was going to ask if he wanted Mackerel for dinner? It was a common conversation topic. The fact that he jumped to such a conclusion meant that their trip was not fine.

She thought about asking him again but didn't. It was too much effort. If Makoto wasn't going to talk then that's fine. He's been weird lately anyway.

Ever since she showed up to joint practice with fake tattoos, he has been distant. They still did everything together but something was off. He wouldn't watch Hamtaro anymore. Makoto loved Hamtaro.

"Ok. Looks like we have everything. Haru, don't forget to pack pajamas. My mom won't be there to give you some and we will be camping with Nagisa and Rei also."

She grunted and made her way into the kitchen. It was already late but they hadn't eaten anything for a while. Makoto followed shortly after and began digging through the refrigerator. When he found a sufficient arrangement of vegetables he shut the door and looked at Haruka.

"Here." She said and handed him the cutting board and knife. Her eyes never left the mackerel she was filleting but they didn't' need to. The two of them have had the same routine for a while.

"I was thinking Yasai Itame since that's fast and it's already pretty late. There's some leftover rice from earlier too."

Haruka didn't respond but placed the wok on the range indicating that she agreed. While the fish was the on the grill, she started caramelizing the onions and garlic; stepping aside as needed so Makoto could add in more vegetables and the ginger root.

"That's good."

"Haru, you need to eat more vegetables." Makoto scolded and added the remaining cabbage to the mixture. "You can't live on just Mackerel."

She thought of protesting but decided against it. They've had this conversation enough times that she knew how it was going to end. Makoto always won simply because she didn't care enough. As long as she still had more Mackerel than anything else on her plate, she was happy.

* * *

"You like Makerel way too much!" Gou said when she opened the second chest and saw that it was filled with nothing but Makerel.

"That's impossible." Haruka responded in a surprisingly serious tone.

Before she could counter that it is possible to like Mackerel too much, Rei interrupted.

Inside the athletic center was Samezuka Academy's swim team. It took immeasurable effort to conceal a fan girl squeal. Not only did this training camp now include more muscles but Rin was here also. Fate brought Haruka and her brother here at the same time. It was so romantic!

"Did you do something again, Gou?" Makoto asked sounding slightly displeased.

"Huh? I didn't know anything this time. Promise."

"Really?" Nagisa asked cautiously before he became excited. "That means its just a coincidence! We should go down and say hello then!"

"No. We are both here to work hard, so let's wait until perfectionals to show him how far we've come. Haru, can you help me set up camp?" Makoto said and started walking away followed by Haruka.

Gou gave one last look before following everyone back to the beach. Even though she was the resident Rin and Haruka shipper, she still needed to respect Makoto. Perhaps the other boys didn't know why their captain was acting strange but Gou certainly did. It also helped that Chigusa informed her of the little spill that happened during free period last week.

"All right, let's go check into the lodge." Ama-chan said after seeing that camp was sufficiently established. "We booked lodging for ourselves over there. Nanase-chan, I reserved room for you too. Girls shouldn't be expected to sleep outside surrounded by boys."

"It will be fun!' Gou said with a smile that was not returned by the other girl.

"I'm content here." Haruka responded.

"Nanase-chan, really, you don't have to feel pressured to stay out here with the rest of the team." Ama-chan said again this time looking o the boys with a stern expression.

"Haruka-sempai, Ama-chan is right, you shouldn't be sleeping out here with a group of guys. What if your parents find out?" Rei asked in a concerned voice.

"It's not a problem." Haruka said in her usual bored tone.

"Rei is right, Haru-chan, what if they make you quit the swim club? Then we couldn't swim together anymore and, and,..."Nagisa began to talk faster as he became more nervous.

"That can't happen." Haruka whispered before looking at Makoto. It appeared they were having some silent conversation until he nodded.

"Guys," He began and looked back at Haruka as if he wanted to continue whatever happened before. Their eyes didn't meet; however, as the she entered the tent to avoid the conversation.

"It will be ok. Haru is an emancipated minor so even if her parents were to disapprove, they couldn't force her off the team. She can do what she wants."

Gou looked at Ama-chan for assurance. The teacher seemed to be having an internal struggle over the topic. She obviously assumed that Haruka would take her up on her offer and didn't think of a retort for the stubborn girl.

After a dramatic sigh, she turned and looked at Makoto. "I do not approve of this but since Nanase-chan is legally an adult and your parents wrote a letter giving permission to share a tent, then it is what it is." She paused and Gou watched in horror as her adviser changed from her usual cheerful self to a scary demon. "But no funny business while you are under my care, mister."

"Yes-Yes, Ma'am." Makoto gulped.

"Nanase-chan, the offer is there for the duration of the training camp if you change your mind." Ama-chan said loudly before gesturing to Gou that it was time to leave.

This was not good. Regardless of how bad of a closer Makoto was, something definitely would come out of this situation. It was one thing for them to share a tent during family vacations but this was different. Seriously, how irresponsible were Makoto's parents for allowing this?

A vision of two adults flooded Gou's mind. They were sitting on the couch laughing then turned as if they could see her. Mrs. Tachibana started chanting, "grand kids, grand kids" while her husband talked.

"Your meddling won't work anymore Gou. We will have Haruka as a daughter-in-law no matter what." He said and they both started to laugh again only this time it came out more like a cackle.

"No!" Gou screamed forgetting that her vision was a figment of her imagination.

"Gou, what's the matter? Ama-chan asked without looking up from the brochure she was reading.

"Haruka-sempai." She began feeling anxious. "You're really going to let her sleep with Makoto?"

"Please don't word it like that. I dislike the situation as much as you but…" Ama-chan paused as if she were choosing her words carefully. She shrugged and her tone became nonchalant. "This place is lovely place. They even offer rock bathing nearby. I'm sure she will change her mind."

Gou stood there stunned. Perhaps the reason she cared so much was because of her own agenda. It was probably true. Still, how would Rin react?

If she happened to run into her brother and he asked about Haruka she shouldn't lie about it. That wouldn't be meddling; it would be the honest thing to do. That's all.

* * *

He could do this. Makoto watched as Rei and Nagisa excitedly entered the water - the ocean water. Feeling those beautiful blue eyes bore into him, Makoto turned to meet Haru's concerned gaze.

"Don't worry. Let's get going." He said with smile before rushing to catch up with the other boys.

When he was younger, Makoto was afraid to swim in both the ocean and a pool. It didn't matter the location, whenever he was swimming, he felt like he was running away. Then during his third year of swim club, he finally experimented with the backstroke and his fear was lifted.

His fear of the pool at least, this was his first time swimming in the ocean in almost ten years. He contemplated swimming the backstroke here also, but only for a moment. It was too slow and tiring of a style for long distance swimming. The front crawl was the only one that would work.

It was ok though. He could do this. As long as he was swimming with everyone, then he could be strong. Maybe it would cure him of his thalassophobia too.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews, follows and favs! My nap-time chill period is still not happening so I am slowly chipping away at chapters during the 20 minutes I have to myself after bedtime. :( Next up are the drowning and lighthouse scenes... and maybe some Rin? **


	11. Chapter 11

He could pretend during the day but dreams never lied. Makoto woke in a cold sweat despite the warm body curled up next to him. It was the same nightmare every time but it never ceased to leave him terrified. He couldn't shake it knowing that the events were real.

Haruka grumbled when he began to untangle himself from her vice grip. No matter how far apart they started, she would always find him in her sleep. It was one thing when they were sharing a tent with his younger siblings, but the action was too much now that they were alone. He couldn't take it. Especially not when she muttered his name. Makoto wondered, not for the first time, if she did such things on purpose.

Between the still fresh visual of the parade of solemn faces and his sleeping partners habits, Makoto doubted he would be able to fall back asleep anytime soon. Instead of trying, he decided it would be best to go for a walk to clear his head.

The sky was beautiful and the wind felt good against his clammy skin. Even though small harbor town of Iwatobi was also located on the ocean, the wind normally seemed to come from one of the two mountains. Not like here, where it felt salty in comparison. He was about to turn back into the tent to avoid the coming storm when something caught his attention.

"Rei?" He squinted his eyes in confusion.

There was no way the smartest member of their team would be swimming alone at night in the ocean. That would be illogical and Rei loved logic. This didn't' make sense.

Just when Makoto was about to dismiss the doppelganger as a figment of his overtired imagination, crisis hit. Losing his kickboard, Rei began to struggle in the water. Shit, that really was Rei.

The last thing Makoto remembered was yelling out to his friend and rushing to his aid. Then they came. The people in white were lining the dock and all he could do was cling to Haru in fear. They were the same size again so Makoto could easily hide behind her.

"Makoto!" Haruka sounded different. Frantic. He didn't remember her sounding that way during the funeral. He also didn't remember his chest hurting this bad or the overwhelming taste of salt water.

He struggled against the pain before the feeling stopped. It changed into something different; the burning sensation was replaced with a heavy pressure once he stopped coughing. The overwhelming sense of the ocean was still present but there was also something familiar.

"Haruka." He said in a weak voice.

"Makoto." Haru said again only this time it was a whisper against his neck.

Somehow he ended up on the beach with Haruka holding him. Then tents were gone though so they probably weren't at the campsite. Their clothes were missing too, which was odd because he definitely remembered scolding her to not sleep in her swimsuit.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"I'm guessing this is Sukishima. The island facing the tents." Her voice was trembling.

A flood of memories hit him at once. He was going to save Rei but panicked. Haruka was screaming in the background and then everything went blank. He didn't know what came next.

"What happened to Rei?" He asked and pushed himself into a sitting position. "Rei?"

"You need to rest!"

"But where is Rei?"

"Nagisa is taking care of it. Please." Her grip tightened against his shoulders when he tried to move.

She pulled him tighter in the embrace and for first time he noticed she was shaking. "Gods, Makoto. I thought I lost you."

He stayed in her arms for a while. Even after they both calmed down, she continued to cling to him. When her breathing began to slow even more, Makoto began to wonder if the girl was somehow able to fall asleep in such an awkward position. Everyone always gushed about how talented Haruka was at swimming and art but her most useless talent was always forgotten: napping in any situation.

"Haru. Did you fall asleep?"

"No."

That simple comment sent a jolt through his system. There was nothing interesting about the one word sentence but somehow he felt the atmosphere change. He was never particularly talented at anything except reading Haru. Others would say they could converse with their eyes, that somehow the pair was telepathic. Makoto never believed such things, feeling that everyone else just didn't pay enough attention but in that moment he agreed.

The only problem was he had no clue what she was trying to tell him. It wasn't until she lifted her head off his shoulder that he stared down into familiar eyes that a feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him.

"Haru?" He asked and felt himself blush. The stone against his back felt ice cold compared to his now flushed skin. She was suddenly too close but there was no way for him to create more space. The only thing that was missing was the heavy makeup, though he preferred her without any.

"Shhh." She said and placed her pointer finger to his lips.

Unlike the last time, when Harukas movements were brash and sensual, these were timid. A cute pink tinted her cheeks and her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned her forehead against his. Several grueling seconds passed before she spoke again. It was a relief though, since he doubted he could hear anything over his own heartbeat.

"Ma-Makoto." She was trembling again and he absently noted that the hue of her face had darkened. "I can't lose you."

"You won't." He was shocked by how calm his voice was compared to how his entire body tingled. She nodded and he wondered if that was the end of the talk. It seemed a little anti-climatic considered the intense auroa she was emitting.

"Makoto. I… I think…. I think I…" His eyes widened at the sound of her stuttering.

There was no way she was going to say what he longed to hear. Those words that were said so casually when they were younger but fell out of their vocabulary with age. Those words have been on the tip of his tongue for the past year with a meaning so different than the last time he said them to her. Something, that if said with the same intent as the last time they left her lips, would not cause her face to be beet red.

"Oh! There they are! Haru-chan! Mako-chan!"

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Nagisa's loud voice. Makoto watched as a variety of emotions played across her face before she settled on her usual expression. The moment was lost. With fluid movements, she untangled herself from their cuddle and met up with the other two boys.

As he awkwardly rose to join them, he wondered if her heart was still pounding in her ears like his own. Did her skin feel painfully cold from the loss of contact? Out of the corner of his eye he watched her glare at Rei. Her stoic nature revealed little except for the slight tint that stained her face still.

* * *

Nagisa still felt guilty. Being the resident Makoto and Haruka shipper, he should have known better than to call out to them without thinking. Then again, considering how painfully slow those two are it was completely reasonable to assume they would not have been in that position.

Instead, whatever he interrupted left Haru in a sour mood. She even yelled at Rei in a rare show of emotions. Nagisa didn't know that girls could get blue balls but he would have to keep that in mind for later. Angry Haru-chan was scary.

The couple must have had some progress though. At least, the female half of definitely did. At first he thought it was just his imagination considering it wasn't the first time that he had seen them hold hands; however, when he noticed her purposely sit extra close to Makoto during 'Truth or Dare," he knew it was true.

Relief washed over the short teen that finally he didn't have to be distracted. He could now devote his entire attention to his favorite pass time: Torturing Rei. It wasn't his fault that the other boy had the most adorable yell especially when he was angry or embarrassed. Now all he had to do was figure out the perfect dare.

"Nagisa," Rei began with an evil glint in his eye. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Nagisa responded with a happy smile.

"Tell us an embarrassing story!"

"Hmmm…" He had to think hard about this. "I know! My parents didn't want to buy any boys clothes since I'm the youngest so I spent the first five years of my life in my sister's hand-me-downs. In every picture before pre-school, I'm wearing a frilly dress! My sisters even convinced me that I was going to turn into a girl. They would say 'that's why you're named Nagisa, because you're going to be our little sister!'"

"You don't sound very embarrassed." Rei said obviously feeling defeated. There was no way to beat Nagisa. He was invincible.

"Yay! My turn…. Haru-chan! Truth or dare?"

"Dare." The girl responded in her usual bored expression.

"I dare you to…. Kiss…" Nagisa paused for dramatic effect and looked straight at Makoto. The broad shoulder boy gulped in alarm. As much as he really wanted to see those two kiss there was something he needed to see more. "Rei!"

"Rei?" The three voiced in unison. Makoto sounded relieved but disappointed. Rei sounded frantic and Haru was probably just confirming she heard correctly.

"Ha-Haruka-senpai. You- You don't have to do that." Rei said hysterically. Nagisa was enjoying the petrified look on the taller boys face. Yup, he definitely made the right decision.

"It's fine." Haru said seeming not phased by the request at all.

He watched in delight as the girl moved from where she was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Makoto. If he didn't know any better, he would say there was a hint of amusement in her eyes as she crawled the short distance to the other boy. Rei, on the other hand, did not seem to find her advancement amusing and the poor kid turned the brightest shade of red and practically began hyperventilating.

"Nagisa.." He heard Makoto mumble but he didn't move to stop the transaction.

Instead he just stared at Haru with an unreadable expression as she continued to do nothing. She just sat there and watched Rei freak out with her usual bored expression. Maybe Haru-chan was a sadist too.

"Rei." She said finally and leaned in towards him.

"Ye-Yes!"

"Close your eyes."

Rei gulped and immediately squeezed his eyes shut. To his credit though, he didn't pucker up his lips awkwardly but instead sat there patiently. Haru gave one last look at Nagisa before she leaned in and pushed Rei's bangs away from his forehead to plant a chaste kiss on his hairline.

Nagisa laughed and made note that Rei's look of disappointment was his new favorite.

* * *

**A/N: Ok. Maybe I don't mind writing Nagisa. That was fun. Sorry for lying and saying that Rin would be in this one but it happens. I hope Haru's reaction to Makoto almost drowning was believable. I'm having trouble finding ways to make them move forward without going too OOC. **

**Also, I need someone to bounce ideas off of. I have a lot of different scenarios in my head and I'm not sure which one to choose! Seriously considering making another fic that's in the same universe that has her end up with Rin. That way I can make this one Makoto. Or have this one be stereotypical romcom where she doesn't end up with anyone and do two other fics - one Makoto and one Rin. And Maybe a oneshot of Rei. Is that allowed? ahahaha! I think I might be starting to agree with you, StrawberryCakeJuice!**

**And as always. Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, favorites! To those of you who also read my Code Geass fic, I'm going to start editing previous chapters to fit my current format/plot next week and hopefully get the ball rolling on that one too! **


	12. Chapter 12

"You're avoiding me." He said as he leaned against the vending machine outside the convenient store.

It was more direct than 'fancy meeting you here' or any of the other lines that ran through Rin's head. Really, he shouldn't have to try this hard but Haru was always talented at pissing him off. This was the last day of their training camp and she made no effort to make contact with him. That had never happened before.

"Not particularly." Haru said without turning around.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He didn't intend for it to come out as a growl but that was what happened. The reaction didn't seem to faze Haru since she continued to leave her back to him until after she had tucked the can of coffee into the pocket of her hoodie dress. That was another thing to add to his list. It made no sense how a girl could make 'comfortable cute' actually look attractive.

"I'm not going out of my way for either situation."

He stared at her for several moments not sure how to respond. Leave it to Haru to make him speechless with her icy nature. Making a tsk sound, he sulked closer to speak into her ear.

"Not picking anything up for the guys?"

"Didn't ask."

There was a slight variation in her tone. He tried to stifle a satisfied smirk at the way her body tensed up from his nearness. He couldn't read Haru like Makoto could, but at least he could tell the effect he had on her.

"I'll walk you back." He said and was surprised to see a hint of disappointment flash through those blue eyes. Did she really expect him to ravish her in the open like this? As hot as an idea that was, he wasn't in the mood for creating a public disturbance. Instead, he kept his eyes open for a secluded spot on the way back to her campsite. If he remembered correctly from when he had his chat with Gou there should be a park around here somewhere.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if Haru was doing the same when he noticed her eyes scan the area. Her gaze landed on a small duck pond surrounded by trees and she veered off course to head towards it. They were five minutes from the ocean and a body of water the size of an inflatable swimming pool distracted the girl.

Rin noted with delight that they were completely alone. The scene was probably so uninteresting to anyone else that they wouldn't be bothered for a while. It was perfect.

"You shouldn't go wandering off with dangerous men." He whispered into her ear.

Haru didn't bother to turn around to face him even he wrapped his hands around her hips. He traced the line of her hipbone through the surprisingly thin material of her dress.

"Too bad you aren't dangerous, Rin." She responded in an unusually coy voice. Haru was flirting with him. His grip tightened on her in both anger and excitement. It was unnatural how easily she should set him off.

"You obviously don't know me very well anymore than." He said and instantly regretted it. This time when she tensed from his touch it was different. It wasn't out of arousal that she pulled away but resentment. Even he could figure that out.

"No. I suppose I don't."

Her voice was too soft, too venerable sounding. Rin couldn't tell if he wanted to pull her into his arms and just hold her or attempt say something meaningful. He refused to be sappy but somehow Haru had the ability to make him bipolar.

"Haru…" He began but wasn't sure what to say.

With gentle fingers, he caressed her jawline before turning her head to meet his own. The kiss was still as passionate as the last one, but it lacked an animal nature.

He still wanted to pin her down and rip her clothes off but first he had to get this message across. Telepathy was out of the question so instead he communicated the only way he knew how. What he lacked in mental and verbal competence he made up with physical capability.

Haru didn't resist but instead turned into it and immediately opened her mouth to allow his probing tongue access. This was only their second time making out and she already matched his skill perfectly. Maybe she was just naturally a good kisser.

She let out a low moan and leaned into him but it still wasn't enough. He needed more. Without breaking the contact, he began herding her towards the the trees where they could have more privacy.

"Haru."

Rin liked saying her name. He especially liked the needy groan she gave in response. He allowed his hands to break away from her hips to search for more contact. Painfully slow, he inched up the hem of her dress, enjoying the feel of her silken thighs underneath. This time he wasn't surprised by the swimsuit underneath. In a strange way it turned him on even more.

He cupped her butt and grinded his hips into hers. There was too much fabric separating them. Regardless of their secluded location, there was still a chance someone could stumble upon them. Stripping down was out of the question even if their swimsuits were still on. Rin wasn't into teasing, at least not on himself so this would have to suffice.

He began sucking and nipping at her neck, remembering how she made that adorable mewl from the action last time. She didn't disappoint. Gods, he needed to kick Nitori out of the hotel room **now.**

"No marks." Haru's serious voice broke his trance. He tensed and fought the urge to bite down out of spite. Gou mentioned that the two were sharing a tent but amazingly he didn't think anything of it.

"Why do you not want Makoto to see?"

He regretted the words the moment they left his lips. Haru uncharacteristically stared up at him with piercing eyes. It didn't take long for her to turn away and mutter so softly he wasn't sure he heard correctly.

"I don't know."

* * *

It was too much effort. They should all just go back to being kids that way she wouldn't have to deal with these thoughts. Rin was annoying when they were little though. Annoying in a different way but still annoying. Plus then she couldn't have mackerel whenever she wanted so maybe this wasn't all bad.

Haruka scanned the pile of photos that Kou splayed out across the ground. Not many interested her. At least, not like how Nagisa was gushing over every single one. Then her eyes found a particular photo that made her chest feel funny. Makoto seemed to notice it at the same time and moved to pick it up.

"When did you take this, Gou?"

The other girl just shrugged. Haruka wondered if the shot was even taken on purpose. Most of the visual field consisted of a sunset but off in the corner were two figures. It was her and Makoto sitting on a large piece of driftwood. Their bodies were close together and her head was even leaning on his shoulder. They looked like a couple on a romantic date.

She didn't know how she felt about that. It wasn't the first time that they were in a questionable situation. Actually, if she bothered to think about it, they did couple-like things together all the time. Even when people would address Makoto as her boyfriend or her his girlfriend she barely noticed. Now she couldn't stop thinking about it. Well when she wasn't preoccupied with sleep or water or mackerel.

Thing were different now though. Different but not different. Everything was still the same on the outside but instead of just always being with Makoto she started wanting to be with him. Ever since she gave him CPR, the thought of being without him made her whole body numb. Thankfully Makoto never asked about it verbally or with his mind.

Her eyes found a picture of Rin and she couldn't help grabbing it. He was angry with her but for what she didn't know. She knew he was mad about the race but there was something else too. The only time he smiled was when they were kissing.

She felt Makoto become ridged from her looking at Rin. He knew. Makoto always knew. Not for the first time she thought about mentioning it. Not out loud but when they talked in their heads. Then she wouldn't have to put things into words and he would just understand. Then maybe he could put her thoughts into words like he always did.

It was too much effort. The wind obviously agreed since it took the photo of Rin from her. Maybe she wouldn't mind trading Mackerel. She could always sneak it when no one was looking.

* * *

**A/N: I find the id**ea of **Haru scolding anyone for not smiling funny. **

**Thank you so much for all the reviews guys! I have heard your wishes and :drumroll: I am making two sequels to this! The first chapter of the Rin based fic is already out. It's called "Like Father Like Son"... because, well, i couldn't get that scene out of my head and it needed written down. Makoto's one is coming shortly but uh. That's already M rated and I'm not sure how I feel about having the fi**rst chapter b**e a lemon. mwuahaha**

**Really, I should finish this one before getting ahead of myself but neither one contain spoilers to the remaining chapters to this guy so I figured what the hell. I probably won't be adding any more until this is finished though just to keep things kinda making sense? But, I'ma liar so don't believe me. **

**Hope you guys liked this one! **


	13. Chapter 13

"Nanase Haruka, Nanase Haruka…" the attendant scanned the list but couldn't find the name.

"Uh. Ma'am, she's listed under the boys list." Makoto said feeling a little guilty. The poor woman was probably ready to pull her hair out. He watched as her eye twitched and she struggled to compose herself. It didn't help that Nagisa was laughing hysterically.

"No. I know you are messing with me now. Women's competition doesn't start until next week so, as I said before, each competitor needs to check in for themselves."

The line that began forming behind them was getting longer. He took a deep breath and readied himself to explain, once again, that yes they all had girly names but were boys. All of them except Haruka, who was a girl, but she was competing in the men's section so she would be listed there also despite her gender.

"Ma'am." He began politely but was interrupted by Haruka.

"Here." She said after rudely picking up the clipboard to find her own name. He could feel the frustration radiating off of her. Haru was never the most patient person.

"Um. But." the other woman continued obviously flustered by the teen's pushy nature.

"Nanase Haruka." Haru said flatly and pulled out her ID. "Nanase Haruka." She repeated and pointed to the special notes section next to her name. For any other person it would have stated allergies or medication, but for her it simply stated 'female.'

"Oh. Please go ahead. I'm sorry for the delay."

"Haruka-Senpai, you shouldn't be so forceful." Rei stated when they finally cleared the check in station.

"Too much effort."

Rei looked like he was going to protest but became distracted by the intense atmosphere around him. The lobby was filled with half naked men stretching and chatting before their heat. Makoto felt the urge to say something inspiring as their captain but instead began laughing.

"What's so funny, Mako-chan?"

He didn't say anything and gestured for them to keep moving. There was an unspoken agreement to not talk about the things Haru and him shared via telepathy. Makoto knew that Nagisa and Rei wouldn't find it strange if he responded Haru says "Kou would have a heart attack in here."

They probably would even accept that the two shared a vision of the imaginary event. Yet, Makoto was secretly selfish. He enjoyed being the only one that Haru could share these things with. Ever since he became tangled in a love triangle, he found himself clinging to the things that made Haru his.

* * *

Rin felt creepy sitting outside the girl's locker area. Thankfully the female tournament wasn't until next week so there wouldn't be any girls around except Haru. She didn't count since she probably already thought he was a creeper.

It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the race. Then he could move on. He could move on from these feelings. All the pent up frustration that he previously confused for attraction would fade. He could finally be free. Free from Haru and that stupid polkadot dress that started this whole mess.

"I'm here as promised." Haru said in a serious tone after sensing his mood. Her expression was as stoic as ever as she stopped to stand before him. She knew he would be waiting for her here. The girl could practically read minds.

"Of course. I kept my qualifying time low so I'd be in the same heat as you."

"No need for that. We'd still meet in the final."

"I can't wait that long." He said quietly.

He needed to get this over with before it was too late. The more time he spent with Haru the deeper he became. She was like a rip current that threatened to pull him in. Pull him into to a world filled with happily-ever-afters and other nonsense. Things he couldn't have if he was going to become an Olympic swimmer. He couldn't get distracted and end up like his dad.

" Besides, " he continued. "There is no guarantee that you'll make it to the finals. No one else matters. It's just you an me. I look forward to it."

* * *

Haruka never cared about her time or winning, at least, not usually. Only once before did such thoughts plague her mind and the results were the same then also.

It was early spring of her 6th grade year when she swam the relay with Makoto, Nagisa, and Rin. He was extremely serious then too, except for a different reason. Rin would keep track of her time and constantly push her harder. He swam for victory and tried pushing those ideals onto her.

The only problem was it backfired. It might have motivated her mentally but her body just wouldn't respond. When she focused on getting faster, it was as if she forgot how to swim. Her limbs became stiff and the water resisted her.

Haruka wondered how people like Rin existed in the world. Didn't the water reject them? It rejected her when she was result driven. It made her slow. It bared its fangs and tried to attack her. The understanding they had was gone.

She was silly for thinking things would be different now. Her desire to be free became her shackles. As much as she tried she couldn't cut through the water. Then again, did she really want to?

She didn't know why she was swimming. At some point she had forgotten, if she ever knew at all. It wasn't for this though. The water knew she was just using it to gain her freedom. Today was supposed to be the day she became free. Free from Rin. Free for Rin? It didn't make sense.

When her hand finally touched the finish it would be over and that terrified her. For all the times she thought about moving forward, she didn't want to. She didn't know what she wanted but she knew she didn't want this.

She didn't want Rin looking down on her telling her it was over. He said they couldn't swim together anymore. He was pushing her away again. Did he know? Did He know she didn't swim her best?

The water must have told him. Otherwise he wouldn't be leaving. She wanted to call out to him but no words left her vocal chords. There was nothing to say.

She showered quickly despite the fact that she had little desire to go back. She felt tired and restless all at the same time. That water here wasn't angry with her. The thousands of individual drops seemed to have no mind. Because to it's scattered existence it wasn't able to form a will. It wasn't enough. She turned off the water, dressed back into her tracksuit, and headed out of the locker room.

"You swam well even though you didn't make it to the finals."

A foreign voice penetrated her awareness. It belonged to a man in his mid thirties. He pushed up from where he was leaning against the wall to greet her.

"I'm Katayama Yoshikazu."

"Nanase Haruka."

"I know who you are."

"Okay." She said after several moments.

"You'd make it to nationals if you competed against other females. I was surprised to see a girl in the men's tournament but you swim surprisingly fast."

She wanted to respond that wasn't fast. She could swim much faster when she wasn't trying. It was when time stopped that she could feel the water the most. None of these words left her mouth. Instead she said the only thing that mattered in the situation.

"I have enough love drama."

"Excuse me?" He choked out.

"I said I have enough love drama. I don't need your compliments adding to it."

He laughed. It was a full belly laughter that echoed throughout the halls. Haruka didn't know what was so funny. She was completely serious.

"I suppose that's one way to interpret it. This must be why women are assigned to watch the female tournaments. I figured my name might have been recognizable but I am still new to the job this year. I got ahead of myself."

She didn't know what he was talking about. She didn't really care either. She glanced down at his calling card out of politeness and the conversation began to make sense. When anyone else would feel embarrassed for the misunderstanding, Haruka just felt relief.

"You're scouting me." She said feeling confused.

"Well not exactly. I'm actually just here to watch my nephew swim. He's terrible and placed last but my sister is delusion and asked me to come. I told her I'd be at nationals but she insisted. Probably knew that he wouldn't make it that far."

"Okay." This guy talked too much. He didn't answer her question either. She wondered how rude it would be to just walk past him. It's not as if she cared about any of this.

"Anyway. We normally don't scout athletes without top rankings but considering your situation, I thought I would say hello. I'm sure you would get more attention if you swam on a female team but -."

"Not interested."

"Huh? Someone with your athletic ability should really be striving to enter the sports world."

"I said I'm not interested in that sort of thing."

"That's a shame. It seems like a waste when others have tried so hard."" He said with a shrug. "Mind if I ask you something? I'm curious…Why do you swim then?"

* * *

**A/N: So this is my interpretation of what happened because I honestly can't wrap my head around why Haruka didn't make it past the prelims! If the backstory doesn't make sense, it's because it's taken from the light novel. **

**I think my computer is a RinxHaru shipper because it completely deleted the section that I wrote where he talks himself out of dating her lol!**

**The Makoto lemon... I mean, chapter one of the Makoto sequel is up. It's M rated so it won't be in the same section as this one. It's titled "Blue Eyed Girl 2" for now. I'm open to suggestions.**

**Hopefully you liked this chapter and it's believable. I'm pretty nervous about it! Up next is the Squid festival unless you guys want me to devote more than just a quick section to the relay. My next chapter of "Like Father, Like Son" contains spoilers to that event so I can't post it until I write it ;) Doing 3 fics side by side is interesting but I like it. Probably because I'm so ADD it lets me jump around. **


	14. Chapter 14

His heart was racing in both trepidation and anticipation. He could feel his whole body tingle like a limb that fell asleep except the sensation was everywhere. They hadn't even started and already it was the most thrilling experience of his life. Rei looked at Haruka but she didn't seem to share his excitement. She looked straight ahead with her usual bored expression.

"Haruka-Senpai," He asked wondering if this was the right decision.

When their eyes met he knew it was all right. Those crystal blue orbs showed no sign of hesitation. This wasn't her first time so it made sense that she wouldn't be nervous despite the pressure put on her.

The sound of the pistol firing pulled him back into reality. Rei watched in awe as Makoto pushed back from the block. With powerful strokes he moved past the other competitors.

"Nagisa!" Makoto yelled as the smallest member of the team dove into the water.

Rei felt a chill run down his spine as he watched his friend swim the breaststroke. Nagisa was never the fastest swimmer in the beginning but towards the end he excelled. He would defy logic and cause his arms to stretch towards the goal.

His heart was pounding in his ears. Even though the two of them practiced this morning in the pool he wasn't sure if it would be enough. However, the moment his body hit the water everything faded. Was this what Haruka meant by "free?" The tingling sensation was gone and all that remained was a calmness he never experienced before. He felt the hopes of his teammates in his heart guiding him forward. He knew in his mind that he wasn't the best swimmer, nowhere near as elegant as Haruka, yet at that moment he felt beautiful. He felt that together they could do anything.

"Haruka-sempai!" He yelled but she was already in the water.

He watched with amazement as she cut through the water. She was fast, faster than anyone. Haruka passed fourth almost immediately and continued to gain speed. Nagisa had said that Haru-chan was the perfect anchor but he didn't understand until now. She not only carried the hopes and dreams of her teammates but those wishes gave her wings. It was truly the most inspiring thing he's ever witnessed.

* * *

Haruka wasn't amused. This was supposed to be her day off. Her day to soak in the tub, do chores, eat mackerel, soak in the tub again, and whatever else she wanted. Instead she was here in her living with two over excited girls. Two girls who wanted to do her most hated thing. Talk.

"I'm going to make some more tea." She said grateful for the excuse to leave the room.

"Oh I'll help you! I've been so rude just letting you do everything yourself!" Chigusa said and rushed to her feet.

"No it's fine." Haruka replied and looked at Kou. She wasn't Makoto but Haruka willed for her thoughts to invade the other girl's brain anyway. This had to work.

It didn't. Haruka didn't feel the familiar fuzzy feeling that meant the message was received. Kou did end up suggesting Chigusa stay in the living room though. Maybe it did work. Maybe the fuzzy feeling only came from Makoto.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she was free from the chatter. Kou wasn't so bad when they were with the guys or even alone. When she was with other girls it was like a obstruction was released. The two of them were worse than four Nagisas.

"Hey Haruka-chan, are you wearing a yukata?" Chigusa asked when she returned with more tea and snacks.

"No." Haruka responded feeling confused. She obviously wasn't wearing a yukata. She had on yoga pants and her club t-shirt. Kou even remarked on her dedication for wearing it on a Sunday. That question made no sense.

"She means are you wearing one to the festival." Kou chimed in with a smile.

"No."

"No you aren't going or no you're not wearing one?"

Haruka didn't respond. The Matsuoka siblings were too much alike. They both had that pushy nature whenever it came to their own desires. It was annoying.

Silently she walked out of the room and into the hallway closet. There was no point in protesting. She might as well go along with whatever the redhead was planning. When she returned with the large box she noticed Kou and Chigusa had begun changing also. Why they didn't just come over wearing yukatas was beyond her. It explained the bags they brought over.

"It's in here somewhere." Haruka said and unceremoniously dropped the box on the table. She didn't keep fabric in the attic so the materials were easy to find but it was still too much effort. The box had not been opened since her parents moved out. The only indication of its contents were the messy script which read 'festival clothing.'

"Oh how cute!" Chigusa squealed and held up a toddler-sized yukata.

The material was hot pink with white flowers all over. Haruka would have been too little to remember ever wearing it but each garment appeared to be paired with a photograph. The two other girls gushed at how cute 'baby Haruka' was before sorting through the other items. Each one received some response, either a high-pitched noise or awe. None of this was particularly interesting until they came to one without a photo attached. Haruka heard a gasp come from one of the two and lifted her head to see what it was.

It was that one, Grandma Nanase's yukata. The one she wore at her wedding. The event was held in the heat of summer and her stubborn grandmother insisted on wearing a yukata instead of traditional formal wear because of the temperature. It shouldn't be in that box.

"It's perfect!" Kou exclaimed and Haruka fought the urge to protest. There was no reason not to wear it. It was perfectly kept and only needed a little airing out. Kou set it aside and began placing everything else back in the box. The other girls already moved on to picking out make up and other accessories but Haruka's eyes were trained on the garment.

She didn't remember the colors being so vibrant. It was lavender with intricate red lotus blossoms throughout. The embroidery seemed to sparkle in the light. Was Grandma Nanase smiling? This would have made her happy. She always wanted Haruka to wear it.

Haruka felt a renewed sympathy for Nagisa when she became Kou and Chigusa's dress up doll. She appreciated the help tying the obi but having them do her hair and makeup was too much effort. She didn't even know there was anything that could be done with her short cut until Kou began braiding the front and poking her with colorful bobby pins. Chigusa took the job of applying eye shadow that matched her outfit and apparently would 'bring out her eyes.'

"Hey Haruka-chan." Chigusa began but paused for a moment before continuing. "How do you feel about Rin?"

Haruka wished that Kou wasn't standing behind her. The girl was up to something again. She knew it. There was no reason to avoid the question. Kou already knew about her and Rin. Chigusa probably did also since it seemed like an odd question to ask otherwise.

Rin made the water feel hot. She always knew where he was in the pool because the water would change. The previously cool liquid would become like bath water. When she was younger it made her angry. She would avoid swimming near him to avoid the taint.

That desire changed at some point. It was probably the relay. When she jumped in after him the water wasn't uncomfortable. She realized that the water didn't change because of his hot head but due to his passion. She felt his love for swimming. It made her heart pound in her ears. It made her fast, faster than she could have imagined. It made her want to swim with him more.

Then he left. He left her for three years and when he came back he was different. The water was still hot but she couldn't feel his emotions in it anymore. The only time she felt them was when they touched. It was confusing. She wanted to go back to when swimming was enough. She wanted to go back to when thinking about Rin didn't make her blush.

"He's annoying." She said finally.

Chigusa looked like she wanted to ask more but stopped herself. Haruka wondered if her and Kou were having a silent conversation. Could other people do that besides her and Makoto? She didn't think so. It seemed like whatever Chigusa was thinking about wasn't the same as before.

"What about Makoto?"

While Rin made everything muggy, Makoto was calming. He was like the wind in summer. In the town of Iwatobi the wind is constant. No one ever notices it except the rare instances when it stops and even then it's the lack of wind that's noticeable. Not the wind itself.

That wasn't right. She noticed Makoto. Maybe he was like mackerel. She always had mackerel and she always had Makoto. She didn't need to think about it. It just the way things always were and always will be.

"What is Makoto to you?" Chigusa asked again only this time changing her words.

"Makoto is Makoto."

That must not be the right answer since the other girl became visibly nervous. There was nothing else to say though. She understood her feelings for Makoto even less than her ones for Rin.

The sound of someone calling at the door cut through the air like a knife. Haruka let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. The atmosphere had become intense and she wasn't a fan. It became worse when Kou left the room to let the boys know they were almost ready.

"So. Um. You wouldn't care if I confessed to him?" Chigusa asked after turning her back to pick up the makeup supplies.

Haruka felt her body go cold. She never thought about Makoto's popularity before. She knew some girls liked him and that he had been confessed to before but it didn't matter. He never mentioned anything about it to her and she never brought it up. Everyone was always rejected. Chigusa asking permission felt weird. She couldn't say no. She had no right. However, she didn't want to say she was fine with it either. This is probably why no one ever had this conversation with her before.

"Do what you want. You don't need to ask my permission."

The words felt strange coming from her lips. Haruka wasn't even sure she was the one who said them. The statement must not have bothered Chigusa since she began to beam as she finished putting things together and left the room. Haruka was slow to follow. It wasn't until she heard Makoto's voice that she felt compelled to move.

"You two look cute."

"Do you mean just our yukatas?" Chigusa giggled in response.

"Well not exactly..."

Haruka felt awkward. She wanted to change back into her swimsuit and head to the school pool. She could float all night and not have to worry about this. She wouldn't have to listen to Chigusa and Makoto flirt. Have they always done that? She never noticed.

"Oh! Haru-chan is wearing one too! I told you everyone would be in a yukata, Mako-chan." Nagisa exclaimed.

"Haruka-sempai. You look beautiful." Rei said softly.

Haru." Makoto began and she felt her chest tighten. "Let's get going."

* * *

**A/N: I feel like I recycled the Haru scene as chapter 12 but I felt like having her muse on her feelings again fit the context of the conversation. Plus I really like how it turned out. It looks like Squid Festival isn't until next chapter. Like I said, I'm a liar but this one got away from me and the festival is going to be a lot of jumping around so I wanted to give myself time for criticism and to collect my thoughts before then. I really hate it when people write the same scene from multiple POVS but I wonder if that's what I am going to end up doing. Not to give you guys spoilers but it's pretty climatic at least for the romance part of this story. I plan on having it end with the last episode of season 1- the relay at regionals. **

**This chapter was written on my phone so please let me know if you notice any horrible auto-correct mistakes. Also let me know what you think. Before anyone complains about Makoto's reaction to Haru, I honestly can see him not complimenting her because he would worry it would make her feel embarrassed. Plus we also know from other romances that it's not uncommon for the guy to not say anything because HE feels embarrassed. So, don't shoot me that he was complimenting Kou and Chigusa but not Haru. **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Excuse me while I run and hide from the angry mob that is about to form.**

* * *

"This is cheating, Gou!" Nagisa said in a harsh whisper.

Gou noted that this is the first time she's ever heard the boy sound upset. His face was twisted in a scowl as his eyes kept on darting back and forth between different members of the group. He might have been intimidating if it he wasn't Nagisa. However, because it was so out of character Gou wanted to pinch his cheeks more than anything.

"I'm not cheating. I can't control other people." She said in a hiss. Haruka was most likely not ease dropping on the conversation but she wouldn't put it past Rei. The boy seemed to have recovered from the odd formation of the group. Now he seemed more curious than flustered.

Nagisa huffed and finally gave in. She could see why he was upset. Despite his energetic nature, the short boy was surprisingly perceptive. He probably noticed how Haruka's eyes widened when Chigusa took her usual spot next to Makoto. She seemed confused for a few moments before taking point with Rei. Due to the crowded streets, the six of them were paired up. Makoto and Chigusa were in front, followed by Gou and Nagisa with Haruka and Rei trailing not too far behind.

Gou supposed that she could have decided to walk with Haruka rather than her rival but was never given the chance. Being the resident member of team Makoto, Nagisa refused to let her out of his sight in case she did something else that went against the verbal contract. After a heated discussion during the 'Training Camp from Hell,' the two of them made a truce. No more meddling. They were to become nothing more than bystanders in Haruka's love life. Gou knew his motives were so he could devote more time to torturing poor Rei, but she didn't complain.

Their first stop was Misagozaki shrine. During festivals, the small shrine that normally sat on the top of the small mountain would be brought down to the coast. The heavy traffic would be too much for the narrow winding stairs to handle. Gou wondered if the patron god cared that the structure was moved twice a year. It allowed for more visitors but she didn't think she would like it. She wouldn't like her home being thrown in the ocean during the fall festival either but that was also a tradition.

"Wow there is squid everywhere!" Nagisa's eyes lit up as they approached the stalls. "Nothing's changed. Where should we start?"

"Just squidy." Rei said as Nagisa went on a tangent about how everything was squid related. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Squid Catching Heaven is about to start." Makoto said and pointed towards the direction he wanted to head.

"What kind of weird event is that? And why are you looking at me?" Rei asked obviously nervous.

"How watching the Squid Ink Calligraphy Contest?" Gou asked in a raised voice to be heard over Nagisa.

Haruka had stopped paying attention at some point. Her eyes were drawn to the colorful balloons that were floating in shallow water. There wasn't enough room for her to get in plus it would be difficult in a yukata. Despite this, she fell a pull towards the area. It was always her favorite game. Something about the absent-minded task of lifting the string with a small hook appealed to her. Maybe it was because it was one of those pastimes where the less you tried; the better you were at it.

"Haru, you'll get left behind if you don't stay with the group." Makoto said in a caring voice. He noticed where she was gazing and nodded. "We can come back later."

Haruka felt a strange desire to lace her fingers with his when Makoto took her hand. Her heart beat a little faster at the thought. It was unlikely that he would refuse her but it was something they've never done before. Whenever they held hands in the past it was always grabbing hold of the whole palm. Sometimes Makoto would just grasp her wrist if it were a situation where he was trying to pull her away from something, like the aquarium at the pool supplies store.

Before she could muster up the courage to make the contact more intimate, his hand was gone. They were back with the rest of the group but it still seemed odd. They have held hands in front of Nagisa and Rei before. Granted it was while they explored the abandoned lighthouse but the situation shouldn't have made a difference.

Absently, she wondered if the reason Makoto pulled away was because of the look Chigusa was giving them. Did he know that the other girl liked him? For the first time in her life, Haruka wished she paid more attention to something other than the water. It was too much effort but she was expending a lot of energy worrying about this also.

"Maybe it would be easier if we split up. It's pretty crowded for the six of us to be walking around together." Chigusa suggested with a smile.

"That's an idea." Makoto said thoughtfully. "We can meet back at the picnic tables in a little while for dinner."

"What is it Rei?" Nagisa asked when he felt an elbow lightly connect with his ribs.

The only response was a shush sound as Rei pointed towards something or someone in the distance. Among the sea of people, messy red hair stood out like a sore thumb. Rin was here also. Nagisa inwardly cursed at himself for trusting Gou.

He knew that there was something fishy about this whole situation and this was it. There was a chance that it was just a coincidence, considering that Rin wasn't alone. However, Nagisa didn't want to believe that fate would do this to poor Makoto. Not to mention the bet he had with Gou for cream puffs if Mako and Haru got together before winter.

"No wait!" Nagisa yelled a little too excited and pushed Rei into Haru to block her sight. "I'm hungry now. Let's get food first. You didn't eat before coming either, right Mako-chan?" The smaller boy leaned closer and began winking frantically. He wasn't Haru but he had to get this message of danger across! "We have to start with fried squid!"

"I want squid tempura." Rei said with a beet red face once he finally untangled himself from Haru.

"Or squid and fish."

"Squid padella!" Chigusa and Gou said in unison.

"Ok how about we walk around the stalls and look first?" Makoto asked taking the position as leader.

* * *

Rin had the feeling that he was being followed. It was hard to tell with Nitori trailing him like a stray dog but this felt different. The hair at the back of his neck kept tingling yet whenever he turned around there was no one there. No one noticeable anyway.

His mind continued to be elsewhere so maybe it was just ghosts. Ghosts of his past that he couldn't let go were following him. It seemed to make sense. Wherever he looked he saw things that never came to pass.

When he transferred from sano elementary it was the middle of winter and he left for Australia in early spring. He never had the chance to go to a festival with teammates. It didn't make sense why he kept on wondering what could have been.

A group of kids ran by and caught his attention. It was two boys and another boy and a girl, who appeared to be siblings. The girl was dressed in a flowery yukata that seemed to be slowing her down.

"Mei hurry up! I'm not going to wait for you!" Contrary to his statement, the one boy stopped and turned around. There was a deep blush on his face that probably wasn't due to exertion. "Keep up or go play with the other girls."

"No! I'm going to play shooting games with you!" She said angrily and took off her getas. "I bet I'm faster than you now."

"Oh yeah? I'll race you. No way I'd lose to someone dressed in all pink!" The boy said took off to catch up with his friends. The two weaved between bodies and it didn't take long for them to be out of Rin's sight.

Even though Haru would never be so vocal, the scene still made his chest ache. Would she have worn a pretty yukata if they all went to the festival together? He probably would have blushed like that other boy at the sight. He could even imagine Haru's rude response.

She would say that it wasn't her fault that Rin assumed she was a boy despite her girly name. All he had to do was ask. She probably would have called him an idiot too. These words would be spread out over the night. He couldn't imagine Haru voluntarily saying so much at one time.

Without noticing it, his feet were moving on autopilot. He turned away from the festivities and travelled down a familiar street. It was the street that led to the elementary school.

"Matsouka-sempai, there aren't any stalls over here." Nitori said in his usual whiney voice.

"I know."

"Let's go back."

"You can go back."

He just noticed when the annoying boy stopped following. Rin breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally alone with his thoughts.

* * *

They were a giant blood clot. Chigusa felt the urge to suggest they solo up again but decided against it. Every time she brought it up Nagisa would vehemently object. She didn't have the heart to mention that Rei already wandered off on his own.

"Guys, did you notice where Rei went off to?" Makoto asked.

"Oh uh. He saw some acquaintances from middle school and decide to walk around with them." Nagisa said a little too rushed.

Before she had a chance to ask why Rei was allowed to leave when no one else was, Nagisa excitedly grabbed her arm. He pulled her towards Gou and he took hold of her also. With a force she didn't know was housed within that small body, he pulled the two girls with him.

"You're right. There's no reason to stick together. I think I saw my ex girlfriend from middle school. She will be so jealous if she sees I'm here with two girls. Let's go! Mako-chan, Haru-chan, we will me up with you on the overlook when the fireworks are launched."

"But." She began and peered over her shoulder. "But I want to stay with Makoto."

Her face turned bright red from the almost confession. Haruka's eyes widened slightly at the bold statement and she felt Nagisa tense beside her but she didn't care. Makoto gave her a caring smile and she felt her pulse jump.

"I know how about Haruka-sempai and I go with you instead." Gou said and grabbed onto her stoic friend.

"But... But..." Nagisa complained.

"Are you saying Haruka isn't pretty enough? Nagisa that's so mean!" Gou continued and placed her arm on Haruka in sympathy. The raven-haired girl didn't seem bothered. Her eyes were distant, as if her mind was in some far off place. Somewhere no one else could reach.

"Haru are you sure you are ok with this?" Nagisa said and began pulling at the other girl. A tug of war broke out between him and Gou. The spectacle even attracted some bystanders who mistook the scene for an event.

"Whatever."

When Haruka mumbled those words it was all over. Nagisa slumped in defeat and the three-person group wandered off with Gou as their new leader.

"So um. What did you want to do next?" Makoto asked.

She never thought that she would be alone with Makoto during he festival so she never thought of the things they could do together. To be walking around with Makoto alone looked like a date. Chigusa felt her face flush again.

"Um. I'm actually a little tired. Do you mind if we go get something to drink and sit down?"

"Ok." Makoto said and began walking towards the vending machines.

They walked side by side and Chigusa felt a longing to grab into his hand. She saw Haruka and Makoto holding hands earlier but stopped when they met back up with the group. She knew Haruka was absent minded but wasn't sure if that was the only reason. She knew he liked her. She's known for a while but that didn't stop this feeling.

Would he reject her if she tried to touch him? He was so far away even though they were walking so close together. She even felt his warmth every time their shoulders brushed together. She could always play it off as an accident if he didn't reciprocate. She could just lightly brush her fingers against his to see what would happen.

"Sorry we have to walk so close together through the crowd. I hope you don't mind."

She wanted to respond that she definitely did not mind. She wanted to be even closer; that's why she touched his hand. It wasn't an accident. Instead of saying those things, all she could do was nod.

Never had she been so grateful for the awkwardly small bench at the overlook before. They were sitting so close their legs were touching. She wanted to stay like this forever, just watching the lights in a comfortable silence.

"I should probably stand to give you more room." Makoto said sheepishly.

"No it's fine." Chigusa rushed to speak before he moved. "I don't mind."

"Ok."

As much as she enjoyed the silence, Chigusa knew nothing change unless she said something. Nothing good came without a risk. It was time for her to risk embarrassment and put her heart on the line.

"So. Gou said you were going to regionals next week. Do-do you mind if I come and watch you?"

"Really?" Makoto asked excited. "That would be great! I would really love it if you came to watch us."

"No."

"No?"

"I want to watch you." She said and felt her heart rate speed up. "I only have eyes for you, Makoto."

Chigusa thought it was now or never when she leaned over to close the gap between them. She only pressed her lips against his for a second. She was too nervous to attempt anything more than a quick peck in fear that he would pull away.

"S-sorry." She said immediately after breaking the kiss.

"For what?" Makoto asked sounding confused. This wasn't the reaction she was expecting. She also didn't expect it to be so hard to form a sentence in response.

"Um. Haruka."

"Oh. She's probably with Rin by now."

"What?!"

"That's where Rei went off to. Nagisa sent him to follow Rin around. Huh. I figured you would have noticed."

Chigusa was surprised that she didn't know too. She usually prided herself on being perceptive but tonight was strange. The only thing she noticed was Makoto: the way he talked, smiled, and what foods he seemed to enjoy. The way he didn't pull away when she kissed him.

With renewed courage, she leaned in towards him again. The kiss was still soft but this time she didn't pull away. It took a few moments for Makoto to respond but when he did, she felt like she was floating. Gently he raised his hand cup her jaw and leaned in. His touch was light but the places his thumb caressed felt like they were on fire.

As if the was a romance novel, the first firework when off when the kiss became deeper. Chigusa wasn't sure if the stars behind her eyes were because of the brightly colored sky or the sweet way Makoto moved his lips against hers. He tasted of candied apple but she thought that wasn't all. The sweetness was from his caring personality.

"Did you hear something?" She asked jerking away.

"Huh?"

"I thought someone was here just now..."

* * *

At some point she lost sight of Gou and Nagisa. Haruka never noticed how attentive Makoto was until he was gone. Hopefully he wasn't gone but busy. She felt a desire to try to find him and Chigusa but couldn't go through with it.

Instead she aimlessly wandered through the crowd by herself. She never minded being alone before. Often times she craved it. It didn't make sense why she felt empty.

Goldfish. Haruka stopped abruptly when she noticed the busy stall. She walked over and gazed at the colorful bodies. The group of kids she met at the balloon stall was here also.

"Hey lady! Are you good at this game too?" The one boy said with a toothy grin once he noticed her.

Haruka didn't respond but walked over to where the boy was crouched over the shallow tank. His bag was empty and the small wand was broken. It would be hard to catch anything but she had nothing better to do.

Slowly she put the wand into the water and waited. The boy excitedly pointed towards a group of fish in the corner but she ignored him. If she tried to chase the fish too soon they would become panicked and flee.

After a little while she brought the wand towards the group and batted it up. Despite the hole on the center, Haruka was able to hit one up enough to catch it in the bag. She repeated this process three more times. It was slow but efficient.

"Wow! That's a weird way to catch fish but it works! Thanks lady!"

"No. I'm giving these to someone. Consider it payment for the balloons."

Makoto had goldfish when they were little. She never really thought about it unless it made him late to meet her. It would annoy her when she would have to leave for swim club without him but it was less annoying then staying. Then they died and he wasn't late anymore. He didn't tell her and she didn't ask but after a while she figured it out. At the time she wondered if he didn't say anything because he knew she was happy that she didn't have to wait anymore.

Feeling guilty over her own selfishness, Haruka walked towards the meet up location. Makoto was never selfish. He always put everyone before himself. He never expected anything, not even an apology when she was wrong.

Haruka was never good with words. She would give Makoto the fish to express something: guilt for being a dick when they were younger but also something else. Something she didn't want to put into words.

She didn't want their relationship to change but she didn't want it to stay the same either. When Chigusa said she liked Makoto it was frightening. As she weaved through lovey-lovey couples towards her destination, she realized there was another way to lose Makoto.

He couldn't just die. That, of course, would be the worst-case scenario. Then she would really lose him. He could also start dating someone. It seemed unlikely but it was possible. She didn't think girlfriends usually accepted opposite sex friendships lightly.

Chigusa was probably different. Plus there wasn't a reason to worry. Makoto would reject her like everyone else and things would go back to normal. He definitely wouldn't be kissing her.

He was kissing her. Haruka felt time stop and she couldn't help but stare. This shouldn't happen. This shouldn't make her feel this way. Her whole body went numb and the world faded around her. It hurt. She didn't know that a person could feel pain and numbness at the same time.

The fish were forgotten. She dropped them as she ran away. Maybe if she ran fast enough she could turn back time. That was Ren's favorite movie. 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.' She needed to be able to do that except she ran incredibly slowly. She could swim fast but not run. What she needed was water.

* * *

**A/N: I left the chapter like this because I honestly can't decide if I want this to be a Makoto ending or a no one ending and have a flashback in BEG 2 explain how the two eventually get together. Think if this chapter (and the flashback in 'Like Father Like Son' as a dating sim. How Haruka reacts to the ChigusaxMako kiss changes the route to either be Makoto centered or Rin centered. Hopefully that makes sense. MakoxHau shippers, don't kill me. I sincerely think that another big event was needed to make Haru realize her emotions for Makoto. Your angry message is what inspired me, Nessa.**

**On another note. Anyone else die from cuteness from today's episode? OMG MAKOTO I LOVE YOU WITH LITTLE KIDS xoxoxoxoxoxoxo! I was a little put off that whatever kissing scene they hinted to in the previews last week never happened. They blue balled me.**


	16. Chapter 16

"What's wrong, Rei?" Makoto said noticing the other boy was lagging behind.

Rei had been acting abnormal all day. He barely talked and had a gloomy expression on his face when they were looking through the old photos. The distance was becoming too much for him to handle. Everything was always 'Rin-chan, Rin-chan, Rin-chan.' He knew that as the new member of the group there would be some things he wouldn't understand, but after half training so hard together, he wanted to be past that. He was a member of the team now. There was no reason for him to be left out.

"Just what happened between the four of you?" Rei asked hesitantly.

"Four of us?" Nagisa sounded confused. "Oh! You mean Rin-chan?"

"You were all so close in those pictures... You looked so happy."

"Well..." Makoto began hesitantly.

"Rei. I don't know if there is any point in talking about this now. But if you are interested, I can tell you what happened."

"Please tell me. I'm tired of being the only one on the outside."

Haruka nodded and began walking towards the beach. Makoto looked more sullen than before at the idea but didn't raise a complaint. Whatever was about to be said seemed serious.

"You aren't the only one on the outside." Nagisa whispered.

"Rin was obsessed with relays from the moment he joined the swim club. It wasn't until the day of the tournament that he told us why. His late father was part of Iwatobi swim club and won a medley relay in 6th grade. Rin wanted to share the dream that his Pops had: to be an Olympic swimmer. He didn't think he could so that without also winning a relay.

Even though I joined the team because of Nagisa, Rin felt it was his job to make sure I stayed. He became worried when my time became worse and worse. He thought I would quit over something like that. He promised that if we stayed with him for the relay, he would show us a sight that we've never seen before. As I swam with him that last time, I felt like I really did see it. We won the medley relay, and Rin went to Australia."

"I also felt like I saw something completely new." Nagisa reminisced with a smile.

"Yup same here." Makoto smiled also.

"So if you swam together in the relay and won, why is your relationship so different now?"

Rei wondered if he asked the wrong question. He noticed Makoto tense and Haruka closed her eyes. It was obvious that she was about to say something monumental. The only person who looked eager was Nagisa. Was this what he meant when he said Rei wasn't the only one left out? The atmosphere between them was so different.

"During the winter of my first year in middle school, I ran into Rin while he was visiting." Haruka began in a tense voice.

_She was on her way back from the store when she noticed him. At first she wasn't sure if she was seeing correctly. Everything besides his demeanor screamed ''Rin' but it didn't seem right. Rin was always smiling and this boy was not._

_"Rin!" She called out to him before the train blocked her view. "You're back?"_

_"Haru?" He asked sounding confused. "Why are you wearing a dress?"_

_Haruka looked down at the outfit that her mother picked out for her to wear. It was a heavy knit dress that was pastel pink with white dots. Ever since she entered middle school, she stopped wearing Makoto's hand-me-downs as much. Apparently it wasn't becoming._

_It was then that Haruka remembered why such an outfit would make Rin laugh. When they first met she wanted nothing to do with him. He was suspicious and she didn't like him. When he assumed she was a boy with a girly name also, she didn't care to correct him. The less he knew about her the better._

_After a while, it became an awkward subject to broach. She wanted him to know she was a girl, but for some reason she didn't want to tell him. He always talked about they were the best team of boys because of their silly names. It was what bound them together._

_"Because I'm a girl." She responded and felt her face flush. What a stupid reason to feel embarrassed. "You could have called."_

_"Well it would be a little embarrassing." Rin said and she noticed his face became slightly pink also. "So. Um. How are you doing? Still swimming?"_

_Haruka perked up at the mention of water. " Yeah. I joined the team at our middle school. They don't have many members so I still get to swim with Makoto. The school has a pretty big pool."_

_Water was the only thing that could get Haruka to talk but she felt herself saying more than normal. There were so many things she wanted to say to Rin. It was as if every word she would have begrudgingly uttered over the year began spilling out of her. For the first time she felt like a girl. She wanted to talk with him._

_"Hey Haru." Rin said cutting her off. "Let's swim together again. To see who's faster."_

_The sparkle in her eyes began to fade when he challenged her. It wasn't the first time he made that request but something was different. She thought about refusing like always but decided against it. Swimming always fixed everything. Whatever was going on with Rin, this would make it better._

_"Ok but I don't care about winning."_

_It was partially true. She didn't care about winning but she cared about the water. Whoever was in first place could feel the water more than anyone else. It was because of this that she always won. If she were racing someone in a different pool, she would probably just leisurely swim._

_"Whatever Haru. You've got to be serious. I'm not going to go easy on you because you're a girl."_

_"Like that's ever mattered." She huffed._

_"Oh! It's Rin! You're back?" Goro asked when he noticed them approaching._

_"Yeah. Hey, we want to do some swimming." Rin said and for a moment he sounded like his normal self._

_"Sure. It's reserved for us right now anyway."_

_Haruka normally wore her swimsuit under her clothing during practice. She would just change out of her clothes and head right to the pool. Today she had on normal underwear. She was about to head to the girl's locker room when Rin stopped her._

_"Hey. Where are you going? You said you were going to race me."_

_"I'm going to go change." She responded and thought he was being too nosey._

_"Oh. Have you always done that?"_

_"No. I would normally wear my swimsuit under my clothes. I didn't expect to come today so..."_

_It seemed like Rin was finally getting what she was hinting at. His face turned bright red and he began opening and closing his mouth like a fish._

_"Right. I'll be waiting by the pool then."_

_She felt strange. She borrowed the spare suit that was in the locker room. It was a normal one-piece girl suit, the kind that matched everyone else's. It shouldn't make her feel exposed before Rin._

_The water felt hot when she dove into it. This was why she hated racing against Rin. When they swam together in the medley it didn't bother her. She understood his feelings and it made her heart race. It didn't feel murky. She swam as fast as she could to get out of it._

_"Rin?" She asked when her body finally cooled down enough for her to divert her attention elsewhere. Usually she would shower right away to rid herself of the feeling. Everything was off today._

_Haruka's eyes widened when she realized the reason Rin wasn't talking. Normally he would make some comment on his speed when he raced people. The only sounds he was making were soft sniffles. He was crying. All she could do was stand there in shock as he hit the floor in frustration. It wasn't until after they had changed that she felt able to say anything._

_"Rin..." She began and he braced himself to run. "You've been acting strange today."_

_All she wanted was to see him smile again. This gloomy person wasn't the Rin she knew. She thought that swimming would fix everything, but she was wrong. It made it worse. It didn't bring back the happy memory of the relay. It didn't make her heart start pounding in her ears or the water feel like a soft embrace. Instead it was frustrating for both of them._

"_I can't do this anymore. I quit." He said and pulled away when she reached out to grab his hand._

"_What?" She sounded like she was going to cry too._

"_I quit swimming. If I can't even beat a GIRL, what hope do I have to be an Olympic swimmer? It's useless. I might as well quit now. I can never share Pop's dream. I quit."_

_If he was going to quit then she would too. If swimming competitively was only going to hurt the people she cared about then it was the last thing she wanted to do. She only hoped that one day she would figure out a way to bring a smile back to Rin's face._

"I never knew that happened." Nagisa said in a far off tone.

"I couldn't tell anyone back then." Haruka said in a lighter tone than the one she used to tell the story.

"So that's why you quit the swim club in middle school."

* * *

That answer didn't satisfy him. The race with Rin the other day ago should have settled everything. Haruka should be free now to swim the way she wanted. Rin shouldn't be entering the relay. It didn't explain anything.

There must be a part that no one was saying, considering that story only involved Haruka and Rin. It didn't explain why Makoto was acting strange lately or why Rin didn't get along with anyone else. Rei glowered at the nonchalant boy sitting next to him on the bench. How could Nagisa be so relaxed? There was some serious tension here and he was happily eating his ice cream without a care in the world.

"Well, there's no point thinking about it." Nagisa said once he noticed Rei's sour mood. "There's no reason for you to get involved so don't worry about it."

"How can you say that when I'm already involved?!" Rei asked finally letting loose his frustration.

"I didn't know you liked Haru-chan too."

"I don't see how my feelings have anything to do with the situation."

"Sure they do." Nagisa said and took the final bite of his ice cream. "This is obviously a love issue that has nothing to do with swimming."

"Huh?"

"Makoto has always loved Haru. It was obvious even when we were little. She either didn't notice or didn't care since the only thing that mattered to her was water. Then Rin came along...

I don't know if Haru hated Rin or liked him or a little of both. A person could hide their identity in either situation. So-"

"Wait. Hide identity?"

"Oh yeah. Rin thought Haru was a boy."

Rei wanted to ask how that was possible until he remembered that Haru used to swim on the boy's team. In every picture in the swimming club album, she had short hair and was wearing boy's clothing. There was the matter of her name, but Rei knew better than to mention that factor. It still seemed strange but not entirely impossible.

"I'm sure if Rin paid more attention he would have noticed, considering that Haru was the only one in a full body swimsuit instead of just bottoms. They were even in the same class! Anyway, he only paid attention to swimming. As fixated as he was on Haru, at the time it was because of her swimming ability. "

"I still don't see the connection. Haruka-sempai said the reason Rin became upset was because he lost to a girl."

"Hmmm. It's possible considering how obsessed he used to be with winning but I doubt it. I think the reason Rin got upset was because he was jealous. Not of her ability to swim fast, but because he wasn't here anymore. Even though he was close to both Mako-chan and I, he was always chasing after Haru-chan. I kinda just tagged along, and wherever Haru was, Mako would be there also."

"That theory is a possibility, but it doesn't explain why his goal was to beat Haruka or why he stayed in Australia. Plus you just said he thought Haruka was a boy."

"All that could have changed when he found out though! All those buried feelings could have just flown out if him! He could be telling the truth that he wants to move on or maybe he felt he couldn't confess until he won? You see that a lot in shojou manga."

"You read that stuff?"

It didn't matter. Rei made up his mind earlier that night. He would visit Rin and make him explain what was going on. He would figure out the reason why the other boy joined the relay, his feelings for Haruka, and theorize on a way to set them all free.

* * *

**A/N: I've been in an editing mood. First 5 chapters of this fic have been edited and reposted... the only real difference is in chapters 1 and 5 though. I didn't want to have the same flashback appear 3x in this fic so I edited it out of previous ones sans the short tidbit in chapter 2(?). Added more to Nagisa's section because I got better at writing him...The rest is just fixing stupid mistakes and my writing style has changed a lot so I made the previous chapters seem less choppy. We are almost at the end, people! There is a point to this chapter, I swear :-p**

**Also... shameless promotion time: chapters 3 and 4 of 'Like Father, Like Son' are out but that fic has been moved to M rating. **


	17. Chapter 17

It would be a lie to say that they never fought. All children were inherently selfish, and Makoto was no different. The first time he made Haruka cried was when they were less than a year old. He had already finished his fruit slices but wanted more. So, he made his way over to where she was sitting on the play-mat and took hers. Makoto didn't remember this, but it was noted in his baby book because it was also the first time he crawled.

Over time his selfishness began to fade. He learned to share, to not hit, and not say mean words. He started noticing that if he did nice things it made other people smile. Once his little siblings were born, his role as the caring big brother was officially solidified. So it was safe to say, that even though he made Haruka cry before, it's been a while.

She held it in as long as she could. After breaking into the high school and skinny-dipping during the festival, she didn't feel as much of a desire. A part of her wanted to believe that it was all a dream. When she woke up the next day, everything was normal.

Makoto walked her to practice as usual. She didn't mention that she had been in the water less than 12 hours earlier, and he didn't mention that she went missing around the time of the fireworks display. It was as if nothing ever happened. Maybe what she saw really was a bad dream.

Slowly she did start to notice a difference. Haruka didn't think that Makoto used to send emails on his phone so often. Especially not at swim practice, when most of his inner circle was present. He stopped walking her from work to joint practice. Suddenly Rin started being there to pick her up.

That last statement might have just been a fluke because there was only one joint session scheduled before regionals. She might just been thinking too much into this. However, when Rei brought it up, Haruka knew it all wasn't just in her head. She didn't want to say what was going on with her and Makoto, or rather, what was not going on between them, so she told the story of her middle school race with Rin instead. That was when everything got weird.

"I don't think Rei is happy with the way you answered his question." Makoto said quietly as the two walked home.

"I answered it though." She said feeling confused by why it mattered.

"Maybe from your perspective," Makoto laughed and continued. "Everything always comes back to water, doesn't it?"

She didn't answer, not because she didn't want to, but because Makoto's phone rang. He normally didn't answer it when they were alone together. Tonight he did. She tried not to listen when he said he would be over the other person's house in a little bit. He was just finishing up with club activities. She fought the urge to look at her watch to check the time. It was already dark.

"Who was that?" She asked but immediately regretted it.

Makoto sensed her unease and struggled with the correct answer. He didn't want to lie to her, but he knew she wouldn't like what he had to say. It had been the strain in their relationship over the last few weeks. The elephant in the room, as the saying goes.

"Chigusa." He said finally. He didn't like the way saying the other girl's name made him feel guilty. He was doing nothing wrong. They were both minors but, without sounding like he was giving into peer pressure, everyone was doing it.

That is to say that they weren't doing it, as in **it**, despite his girlfriend's advances. Makoto wasn't ready yet. He liked kissing her and was open to fooling around, but he wasn't ready for sex. That was something two people did when they were in love, and he couldn't say that he loved Chigusa. Being the first girl he's ever dated, he didn't think it was possible to call her a rebound; however, as he looked at Haru's wide eyes, he had to wonder.

"Haru?"

She wasn't moving. She had stopped in her tracks and just stared at him. Her body was ridged and her eyes looked abnormally shiny. It looked like she was going to cry.

"It's nothing." She said and took a step back when he moved towards her.

"Haruka." He said her name again and grabbed hold of her wrist before she could run.

Haruka felt like she couldn't move. She wanted to run but Makoto's gentle hold was searing into her hand. This was too embarrassing. She never felt vulnerable in front of Makoto before. Out of anyone, he alone was allowed to see her in various emotional states. Maybe it was because he was the reason, that Haruka didn't want him to see her cry.

Makoto didn't know what to do. In any other situation, he would have pulled Haru into his arms and held her. He would have run his fingers through her short hair and let her tears soak into his chest until his clothing was damp. He wasn't sure if he could do that anymore. Maybe if the reason she was crying were different, but he knew that wasn't the case. Of course he knew; that was why he avoided everything that had to do with Chigusa when he was around Haruka. The guilt was getting worse.

"This is no different than you and Rin." He said finally. His voice sounded strange as if he was talking under water. This was the conversation he has been avoiding since the beginning of the school year.

"I know. I've always known." Makoto continued. "I found out before you even bothered to use that Hamataro tattoo as a cover up. I-I knew it was going to happen and I never said anything because there was no point.

"So, don't just stand there and look at me like I'm the bad guy, Haru. I've done nothing wrong. I'm doing nothing wrong. I can't just wait around while you fuck around Rin to see if you like it. You're the one that started this; you have no right to judge me. Nothing has changed.

"I'm still here for you, aren't I? I still walk you to school in the mornings, participate in club activities, and everything else. What else do you want from me?"

Once he began he couldn't stop. His words were like vomit coming out of his mouth. The more he said, the more ill he became. He felt Haru begin to shake even with the minimal bodily contact. As the words kept flowing from his mouth, he became more aware of the way her pulse was speeding up.

In a masochistic way, Haruka was thankful for Makoto's rant. It gave her time to unleash the emotions that were bottled up inside her without his sympathy. The truth of his words cut her life knives. She had no right to make demands on him. Her selfish nature wanted to argue with him, tell him things that only a month ago he would have been over joyed to hear. Fear kept those words strangled in her throat.

"Everything has changed," were the only ones she could manage.

* * *

"Rin-chan-san, yes?" Rei said as he pushed himself off the building. "I need to talk to you."

"So, what do you want?" Rin asked after he recognized the other boy. He was the butterfly swimmer on the Iwatobi team. The one who took his place in the relay.

"I have two questions for you."

"Huh? What are they?"

"Then here is my first question: Why did you suddenly decide to swim the relay?"

"I changed my mind. You came out here to ask me that?"

"That answer does not convince me. You've been fixated on racing Haruka-senpai all this time. Your reason was that you couldn't move forward until you defeated her. In the last tournament, you beat her. Doesn't that mean you've achieved your goal? "

"My goal isn't to beat Haru. And it's not to win tournaments in this country. I am higher. My goal is the world."

Despite his cool exterior, Rei felt a wave of trepidation as he finally began to question his rival, who was not actually in fact his rival. To be rivals would mean that Rei had a chance with Haruka. After careful consideration, and an emotional outburst he would prefer not to mention, he eventually gave up on forming his own ship. At least, that's what he told himself.

"The world? Very well… On to my second question. How do you feel about Haruka-senpai?"

"Huh?"

"In grade school, you and Haruka were close rivals. I saw old pictures of you guys when we were at Coach Sasabe's house. You used to smile all the time with Makoto, Haruka, and Nagisa. The four of you were always together and having fun.

So what made you change after going to study abroad? Or was it not that at all? Perhaps the change happened when you came back during winter break. It wasn't Australia that changed you, although I'm sure that added to the equation, but finding out that Haruka was—is a girl.

It would be a hard thing to learn, especially at the beginning of adolescence. I'm sure you had a lot of feelings that you couldn't understand, including jealousy for Makoto and Nagisa for being able to stay with her. You wanted to challenge her to a race to show that going to Australia was worth giving up your friendship. But I can't wrap my head around it. If that friendship was so important to you, why didn't you stay? Why didn't you contact any of them when you got back? Why are you letting Haruka believe that this is all her fault?"

"Shut up!" Rin yelled and moved as if he were about to punch Rei. "I let you talk, and you think you can spout all the stupid logic you want?! Why should I explain myself to you?"

"Because I love Haruka-senpai."

"You shouldn't say things like that lightly." Rin growled in response.

"I don't. I was originally on the track team, but once I saw Haruka swim, I was overcome by her beauty and joined the swim club. Practice was hard but then it started to grow on me. After a while, I wasn't just there to be close to Haruka. I was having fun swimming with everyone. I became friends with Makoto and Nagisa. At prefectionals, I finally swam a relay with them.

That was the first time I really understood relays as more than a theory. I realized how fun they could be. We were finally united as one. We felt like a team. I felt like even if my adoration could never reach Haruka-senpai, just swimming with her would be enough. But everything was Rin-chan, Rin-chan, Rin-chan."

"Like that's my fault."

"Bastard!" Rei yelled and finally lost his cool. He rushed forward and grabbed hold of Rin's jacket with trembling fists. Maybe he was a liar. If he really were over Haruka, then he wouldn't be this upset.

"It's your fault that Haruka stopped swimming! All this time, Haruka has felt guilty about beating you in middle school! She thought that that was the reason you changed. You let her believe that was the reason your friendship fell apart. If that were truly the case, you would be able to move on from her, right? So why are you swimming in the relay now?! What do you want to do? What do you want from Haruka-senpai?"

This guy obviously didn't know what the hell he was talking about because Rin was pretty sure he made himself clear to Haru. There was no way that girl was that dense to think that the tension was because of anything other than a love triangle, which apparently was a quadrilateral now. Rin had thrown Haru up against a wall, tree, and several other blockades and dry humped her. There was no way that she thought that a simple race could fix everything.

"And what are you?" Rin said slowly as he grabbed hold of Rei's wrists. "What do _you_ want to do? What do you want from her? You said you love her, yet all you're doing is giving me grief!"

"I…" Rei began and felt his previous fury fade away. "I just want Haruka to be free. Nagisa says that Haru is always smiling on the inside, but the one time I saw her smile for real, I decided that's all I wanted. I love her enough that I'm putting her desires before mine. I don't care if she ends up with you or Makoto… all I want is for her to be happy. That's what true love is like."

Rin let his hands fall from Rei's collar. He thought he knew how he felt for Haru, but after hearing such a serious declaration, he wasn't so sure. Never before had he thought there was anything wrong with his selfish nature. There were people like him in the world and there were people like Makoto, always putting others before themselves. This guy Ryuusaki seemed to not fit in any mold. He was selfishly asking him to give up on Haru, but not because he wanted her for himself.

* * *

**A/N: So, I totally meant to post this like a day after chapter 16 but my husband came home with the 'Left Hand of God' series for me. I can't even blame this on my kid.**

**On another note...this chapter totally made me a ReixHaru shipper. Sigh, too bad that's not how this fic is going to end... or will it? Mwuahahahha!**


	18. Chapter 18

"Mak-o-to."

"Hmmm?" He lazily responded, engrossed by the images on the television screen.

Chigusa huffed and crawled over her boyfriend's legs to straddle his lap. She hated it when she had to be forward with him. She would think that going down into the basement, and putting on a kid's movie would have been enough of an indication that she wanted to make out.

"You aren't supposed to actually watch the movie." She chided and ran a finger over his chiseled chest that was still annoyingly clothed.

"Oh. Why did you put it on then?"

"To make my parents think that we were watching it, but really why would we be sitting down here with The Little Mermaid on? It's a kids movie."

"Really? That's weird. Haru said it was a horror flick, so I've never seen it."

She laughed out loud. "No it's not, but even if it was I would think you would be more interested in what or **who** is right before you."

"Sorry." He apologized and looked down at her with sad eyes. "I'm just tired from practice."

"I thought you guys had a cook out at Coach Sasbae's house?"

"We did." Makoto responded with as little words as possible.

He was beginning to understand his best friend's love of silence. He didn't want to talk about what happened earlier tonight, and especially not with Chigusa. Makoto knew that he has no right to take his feelings out on her but he couldn't help it. He already made Haru cry, so why not add Chigusa to the list?

To his relief, she didn't ask any more questions. She just watched him for several moments before giving up and wrapping herself in his arm. If he weren't so emotionally tired, maybe he would have felt guilty. However, that part of his heart seemed to be completely full. He couldn't even think about anything other than the guilt he felt over Haruka's reaction.

"You're leaving for regionals in a couple days, right?" Chigusa inquired after another one-sided awkward silence.

"Yeah. We are going the night before that way there is time to get there, check-in and warm up before the relay. They want teams present first thing in the morning, even if they don't compete until the afternoon."

"And you're sharing a room with….?" She didn't really want to know the answer but she waited for one anyway.

"Haru." Makoto replied and felt a cold sweat run down his back at the chilling face Chigusa made at the answer. "No one else has parental permission to share a room with her."

"Can't she just, you know, have her own? You aren't little kids anymore. Honestly,"

She stopped short from saying she didn't know what his parents were thinking. Chigusa knew what Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana were thinking. They were thinking that Nanase Haruka was the one who should be wrapped up in their son's arms right now.

"The club can't afford that. Maybe next year." Makoto paused to read the situation before continuing. "You know I wouldn't cheat on you."

"I know. I know. Just." She stopped herself before anything came out of her mouth that she would regret. Things like accusations, fears, or the one thing she could never, ever say. She could never ask Makoto to chose between her and Haruka, because, at least at this stage, she knew what the answer to that ultimatum would be.

"Just?"

"Just watch the movie." She faked a smile and leaned her head on his chest, which apparently was going to remain clothed for the rest of the night.

* * *

Maybe he shouldn't have talked Mako-chan and Haru-chan into starting up the swim club. It was the whole reason he transferred schools, but it only mattered if they could swim together. For a relay team, they really sucked.

"It will all work out." Rei consoled as he slipped his shoes on.

They were off to perfectionals, the two boys planning on meeting the third and the only female member of the team at the (Japanese equivalent) Greyhound Station. That is, if those two even showed up. Nagisa couldn't think like that though. Negative thoughts just wasn't his style and he refused to think that just because everything was falling apart, that Haru-chan was going to skip out on regionals.

_"I'll be there. I promise. I just can't come to practice right now."_

She neglected to mention that she wasn't going to come to school either. Worried she was ill; Nagisa and Rei visited her after the practice that no one attended sans Nagisa. After that it was only him and Rei, with Makoto showing up sometimes but not always. He normally stayed for the first half and then Haru would arrive right at the end with the excuse that she couldn't come to formal practice if she skipped school. The whole thing was a mess but thankfully it wouldn't interfere with their exchanges.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" Nagisa excitedly called out when he noticed his two friends waiting on the bench outside the main entrance. "Did you guys wait long?"

"No. I just got here." Nagisa noticed how an unusual emphasis was put on the word 'I' even within Haru's usual monotone tonality.

"Mako-chan?"

"I've been here a while." The older boy paused and glanced over at Haru before continuing. "Helping with the banner."

"Banner?" Rei asked.

As if on cue, Gou, Ama-chan, and Chigusa came out carrying a large piece of fabric that read 'Fire It Up, Iwatobi.' Haru's eyes widened at the sight of her drawing on it. Was this some kind of strange peace offering? Nagisa looked towards Makoto who only gave a weak smile.

"Well, we'll head up there tomorrow morning."

Haru nodded and sulked off first, followed by Rei. Mako seemed to struggle with something before it all finally made sense. He walked over to Chigusa and gave her a quick peck on the lips before gesturing to Nagisa that it was time to head out.

* * *

No mattered how hard they tried; Nagisa and Rei just couldn't make things all right. The latter male felt incredibly guilty over the whole situation. Not only did he pry into the past, but he also couldn't help but let his heart flutter in response to Haruka sleeping on his shoulder.

When prompted that sleeping during the entire bus ride would cause her to be up all night, she simply asked if Rei minded being her pillow. The flustered teen could only respond 'no,' and watch helplessly as she placed her head back on his shoulder. A glance towards Makoto showed that his body went rigid shortly after noticing that Haruka was cuddled up on him.

This was too complicated, even for Rei's beautiful mind. Makoto loved Haruka, but was dating Chigua. Rin appeared to also have feeling for her, considering he was fixated on swimming with her, enough to enter the relay. The way he tensed up and became angry when Rei admitted his feelings suggests there is (not just past tense) something going on there. Things started to get weird, not that he had much to compare it to, after they went swimsuit shopping.

This was shortly after he joined the swim team. Was it possible all this was his fault? No. He ran those simulations in his head already. The only person who knew his feelings for Haruka was Rin. Unless Nagisa figured it out, but that kid seemed to just find everything funny so that possibility didn't fit into the equation.

The only thing missing was Haruka's feelings. As much as he studied her, Rei was never able to figure it out. She was fixated on Rin, but it almost seemed more like Chihaya's obsession with Arata, except Rin didn't introduce Haruka to swimming, and Haruka was wasn't obsessed with racing Rin. It was the other way around. Makoto reminded him of Taichi; however, that could just be because Rei was reading the Josei manga right now. Nagisa was insistant on him reading something happy to take him mind off things, but Rei suspected it was just another one of his friend's sadistic jokes.

"Yay! We are here!" Nagisa yelled and Rei closed the manga volume, making note that he was on chapter 78.

* * *

"We are all alone in the hotel. It's making me kind if nervous." Makoto said breaking the awkward silence between the two. When did silence become awkward with Haru? She rolled over on the bed to face him and he felt his whole body tingle from her intense gaze and also the familiar probing of his mind.

"Don't worry. You aren't going to cheat on Chigusa with me."

He stopped short at asking how she knew that. They were two teenagers of opposite sex sharing a hotel room together. It wasn't like previous times, where his siblings were in the tent also, or Nagisa and Rei sleeping one tent over. Despite the rumor of paper-thin hotel walls, there really was nothing stopping them besides promises to Chigusa and Rin.

"And you aren't going to cheat on Rin with me."

Haruka's eyes seem to become a shade darker as she contemplated his words. Makoto wasn't sure why, but it felt like he said the wrong thing again. All he did was repeat what she said with a different name, so it didn't make sense why she seemed angry.

"I couldn't do that even if I wanted to." She said finally and Makoto noticed that he couldn't read the meaning behind those words. Their relationship was strained lately, yet it never seemed to be enough for him to feel completely bemused. He could have sworn he had a handle on the situation. He was even more confused when she left for a run. Haruka hated running.

Feeling like it was finally time to end this, he picked up his phone and dialed the number of the second to last person he wanted to talk to about relationships. It was the lesser of two evils, but considering he made Haruka cry this would have to do. With a great unease, he spoke to the irritated person on the other end.

"Hey Rin. I need to talk to you, so meet me at the windmills." He added please at the end for good measure.

* * *

**A/N: The love triangle seriously reminds me of ChihayaFuru sometimes. I was going to be nice and include Makoto and Rin's conversation in this chapter… buuuuttt I'm not. With the kid teething AGAIN and other things getting in the way, I wanted to post what I knocked out during naptime. **

**At the moment 'Like Father, Like Son," seems to be up next on the update roulette. Then maybe this one just because I'm SO CLOSE to the ending and then Code Geass, but maybe CG first just because I'm getting into original content now and its so much easier to write when I'm not staring at a stupid tv screen doing cannon.**

**R&R! :) :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I lied. Here it is, guys!**

* * *

"You call me out here and then you're late. You've got some nerve, Makoto." Rin huffed and scowled at the other boy. "What did you want to talk about?"

"What's going on with you and Haru?"

"Why is everyone asking me that?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing as in there is nothing going on or you changed your mind on what you were going to say?" Makoto asked obviously agitated.

"Both, I guess." Rin sighed and looked up at the windmills.

"I'm not stupid, Rin."

"Then you shouldn't ask stupid questions." He couldn't help himself. Seeing the usually calm, caring boy flustered and mad gave Rin an odd satisfaction. The guy deserves it after calling him out here just to gloat.

"I know about you two."

"Ok." He couldn't help but flash a pointy smile. "Is that what you wanted to say?"

Honestly, Makoto didn't even know what he wanted to say. He knew the answers he wanted to hear (or not hear), but how to get to them seems a mystery. Maybe Rin and Haruka were meant to be together after all, since they are both so vague. He thought about just giving up and leaving but fear of losing Haru stopped him. He had no right to fight for her anymore, yet now that he was finally in the situation to do so, he felt he had to at least do this.

"I love her."

"That much is obvious."

Makoto's furrowed his eyebrows and responded. "Then why?"

"Why not?"

"Because we are or were friends, Rin."

"So what, I should have asked your permission? If we were such good friends, then you should have told me Haru was a chick, or did you like the idea of keeping her all to yourself?"

"We were kids, it didn't matter."

"We were young, Tachibana, but not that young."

"Your ignorance wasn't my responsibility. Besides... It was better that way."

Rin found himself letting out a bark of a laugh. "You really are selfish at heart, aren't you? But you're right. It was better that way. When I came back from Australia over winter break and found out, I was jealous. She got so cute. Haru was always good at everything, besides talking to people, but she had you for that. It just wasn't fair.

"It wasn't fair that I had hit a wall while devoting myself entirely to swimming, when she could just dive in without trying. When I couldn't beat her, I had nothing to justify my absence anymore. I not only lost to Haru at swimming, but I also lost to you. I could have stood to losing her if I could at least win the race."

"But you did win, Rin, in both accounts."

"Did I? I beat her at perfectionals sure, but then I hurt her again afterwards. I couldn't call that winning. Not like how I wanted to, at least.

"Haru ignites a flame in me that's both frightening and exhilarating. When we swam together again for the first time, I remembered what it was like to feel like that. The first time we kissed, I wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her right there. Something I never got to do, in case you are wondering.

"But there is a funny thing about fire and water, they don't mix. The more I chased her, the more she pushed me away. The more she pushed me away, the more I wanted to take her down a peg or two. Maybe that's why I want to swim in the Samezuka relay, I'm still chasing her, even though I know I'll never catch up."

"That doesn't sound like a healthy relationship." Makoto said quietly trying to process the information.

"That's probably why it didn't work out."

"Didn't work out?" Makoto felt his whole body grow cold.

"Yeah."

* * *

He was falling apart right before her eyes. For someone who never cared about her time, it felt odd to be so focused on someone else's. The only reason it made sense was because it was Rin, and nothing made sense when it came to him. When he struggled to pull himself out of the pool, Haruka was on her feet before her mind could even process what was happening.

"Shut up!"

That was Rin's voice coming from down the hall. Haruka changed her trajectory from where she was running towards the boys' locker area to a random, deserted area. At some point Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei caught up to her and they were all chasing after him. It was funny how Rin could bring them all together again, when him leaving and coming back was what tore them all apart.

"It doesn't matter! I don't give a damn what happens! I'm obviously no better than this…" It was getting softer. She wouldn't be able to locate him if he didn't keep on yelling. He was saying something about being better, or not better. It didn't matter, because as she turned the corner; she found him. "That's why I was taken off the relay! Forget it! I quit! I'm done swimming!"

Everything went dark; it was as if all vibrancy of the world was disappearing from her eyes. Makoto and Nagisa were talking, but she couldn't hear them. The only thing she could hear was rapid beating of her own heart. Her legs started to give way, and she backed up to the window sill, sliding down it as words from that winter break repeated over, and over again.

"_I'll quit swimming."_

It was happening again and there was nothing she could do about it. She was never going to swim with Rin again. It was all over; she was going to lose him for real this time. Why couldn't things just be like how they used to be? All she wanted to do was go back in time to when things weren't so complicated, when no one wanted anything of her.

That was a lie. Rin always wanted something from her, but it was different back then. He was always pushy and demanding, but he would nag her with a smile. She thought she could make him smile again but it didn't work. It only made things worse. Everything was her fault; she hurt Rin by being close to Makoto, and Makoto hurt her because he thought she was with Rin.

"Haru." Nagisa's voice was distant, blocked out by the dense wall of morose emotions.

"There's only one logical way to fix this. " Rei smiled and pushed up his glasses. This wasn't just for Haruka. He loved all of them, and was willing to make this sacrifice for his team. He was willing to set them free. "That's what you want too, right Haru?"

"I want to swim with Rin, but -"

"I know, Haruka." Makoto whispered and bent down to her level. "I understand now."

"If you don't do something, Rin will stop swimming. You're the only ones who can help him!"

"Rei?" The boy only smiled at her. She looked up at Makoto and for the first time in a month she could feel his emotions. There wasn't anger, resentment, or guilt; only hope. "Makoto? Nagisa?"

It was going to be ok. The water was going to fix everything. The reason it didn't work before was because it was just her and Rin. With all of them in the medley together, it would work. It had to otherwise there would be nothing left.

* * *

"Rin! Where are you? Rin!"

They were running out of time. In another 15 minutes, they would be disqualified and then it would all be over. This was her last chance. She didn't want to live with this guilt anymore, but that bastard was nowhere on the campus. Where else would he go?

The pseudo cherry tree.

"Rin."

"Haru?" His eyes widened when he notice the out of breath girl call out to him. "Why are you here? Are you going to laugh at me too? You saw what happened in the 100m free, and I was taken off the relay. The whole world is laughing, so join in! I can't win a race and I can't win you!"

"I told you already, Rin. I'm not some trophy you can win."

"No. You're right." He laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "How could I hope for that?"

"Rin," Haruka whispered and reached out for him.

"Don't look at me like that." He growled and grabbed the front of her shirt. "Don't you dare look at me like that! You! You get everything don't you? You lost during perfectionals, and yet a sponsor still approaches you. Not even a scout, but the fucking head of merchandise for Tie!

" Most of us wish to get scouted for a university, and then work part-time to make enough money to get by while entering tournaments to get to the Olympics. Then maybe a sponsor will be interested, but no. You skipped all those steps, didn't you?"

"It's just a modeling contract, Rin. He only approached me because I look good in a swimsuit."

"Oh. Is that it?" His upsetting laugh was back again. "Is that what I'm lacking? Is that why you swim on the boy's team, to show how much better you are than everyone?! That you have everything, while I have nothing?!"

"I don't have everything!" She yelled back and began to struggle against his hold. "I'm broken, Rin. I don't have anything anymore either! Makoto, Nagisa, and I, we are all broken without you! You were what held the team together!"

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

At this point Haruka pushed at the same time as Rin pulled and the duo lost their balance. As they rolled onto the dry, dusty dirt, Rin noticed something written near the bricks surrounding the large almond tree. He whispered the words 'for the team' as he read the English phrase.

"This tree looks like the cherry tree that was in the school yard." Haruka said once she noticed what caught his attention. "Isn't that why you were here?"

"Why?" Rin whispered as tears began to fall from his eyes. Tears that he held in for so long. "Why can't I just be free? I just want to swim with you guys without feeling jealous of you. I want to swim in a relay with you guys. I want it to be like before, but it's too late now. We ruined everything with this stupid love quadrilateral."

"It's not too late." Haruka responded, ignoring the statement about quadrilaterals. Hopefully Rin was just really bad at elementary shapes. "Let's go, Rin."

"Oh! There they are!" Makoto's voice broke the couple out of their spell.

Haruka wanted to call out that it wasn't what it looked like, but that would have to wait. She didn't want ruin the moment. Rin rose up from where he was straddling her on the dirt to look up at the thing that he has been missing all these years: nakama (A/N: I feel like this goes a lot deeper than just teammates or friends so I have to use the Japanese word.).

"You guys…" He whispered.

"Honestly," Rei sighed and shrugged. "Watching you two irritates me so much."

"Rin, come." Haruka said as she got up from the ground and reached out to him. "It's my turn to show you a sight that you've never seen before. Our Friendship."

* * *

They made it just in time. Makoto jumped into the water and looked back at his perfect team. They weren't a bunch of teenagers swimming in regionals right now. This medley relay was the resin that would repair their damaged friendship. Nagisa wouldn't be left out anymore, Rin wouldn't be his love rival, and Haruka could finally be free from complicated situations.

As he pushed off the wall and started his backstroke, it was as if he was in a time machine. He saw the bright blue sky. It was the same sight that he saw as a child, during their relay in 6th grade. The chlorine was washing all the fear, resentment, and guilt away. He was free.

"Nagisa!" He yelled and watched the smallest member of the team jump over him.

Nagisa swam as fast as he could. He didn't want to be left behind, not again. He spent the last three years in a middle school with people who weren't his friends, and didn't understand. They didn't understand his love for swimming, and love of girly names. He was finally home at Iwatobi, at home with Rei. He couldn't let the swim team fall apart without his friend feeling like he was a part of it. That couldn't happen until they got over their old scars though. A silver dolphin, orca, and shark appeared before him and he chased after them. He could catch his friends.

"Rin-chan!"

This was the feeling he was missing. As Rin jumped into the water, he felt the shackles that had bound not only his body, but also his mind melt away. The passion that had been locked away, cracked open by seeing Haru again, was finally released in full. This was the light at the end of the tunnel that he was trapped in all these years. Swimming butterfly between Nagisa and Haru was where he was supposed to be. He didn't need to beat her in a race, or claim her as his in order to be free. The only way to do that was to support her. They shared the same fate; her freedom was his own.

"Haru!"

The water was hot. Rin's emotions didn't make it lukewarm this time, but steaming like a hotspring. No. It wasn't just Rin's emotions swimming in the water. It was Makoto's, Nagisa's, and somehow Rei's also. They were with her as she cut through the liquid that embraced her whole body. She wasn't alone anymore, and didn't need to fear making a choice. It was impossible to go back to when they were kids, but as long as they were together, they could do anything. She could do anything; even follow her heart.

"Haru!" Makoto called out her name and reached his hand out. She smiled, accepting the help of the pool, and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I love you, Makoto." She whispered into his ear, and fought the urge to laugh. It was his relationship with Chigusa that ruined their friendship, but gave her a reason to say those words that were heavy on her heart. She didn't care anymore if anything came from them. All that mattered is that they were finally spoken and that she was set free.

Their embrace got heavier when a third body was added to it. Rin ran to his two friends and wrapped his arms around the couple. "Haru! You showed me the best sight I could've asked for!" He said and felt the girl relax in both his and Makoto's hold. "We're free."

"Yeah" She replied and looked up at the third boy. "Nagisa, get in on this!"

"Mako-chan, Haru-chan…." Nagisa called out their names but paused when he looked at their former leader. "Rin-Rin!" They were finally together again as friends.

* * *

Rei smiled as he watched his nakama share a surprisingly not awkward, and truly inspiring hug. He was no longer struggling to fill a void within the group. He had his own place, and next year he would show them all his skills as a butterfly swimmer. For now; however, he couldn't help but comment on how beautiful love was. Someone could argue that it was self-sacrificing, but seeing Haru smile and be free from her guilt, he didn't feel like he sacrificed anything for her.

* * *

**A/N: OMG REI marry me! I will love you!**

**So that's all folks! I wanted to prepare a long author's note to send off this fic but I made myself tear up so I'm not going to say anything. **

**Read and review especially if you've never left me one before. I'd really like to know what y'all thought of this story. To all my followers and people who faved this, thank you so much! This is my first finished non one-shot fic! Peace, love, and see you next water time!**

**Sequel is 'M-rated" and preview chapter is up. **


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